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Head Start News
Head Start News provides timely information for Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start programs about regulatory requirements, Office of Head Start priorities, and Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for DRS grant competitions, as well as tips, strategies, and resources to support compliance and continuous program improvement.
If you followed our DRS Updates blog before, you will want to sign up for this new blog now! When there is a forecasted or open DRS competition, we will use Head Start News to continue to share tips, strategies, and resources to help agencies in DRS, at risk of being in DRS, or those wishing to compete for the service areas to submit the most competitive application.
The Head Start News blog is published a minimum of quarterly. Subscribing also gives you access to our Monthly Round Up, where we highlight blog posts from both of our blogs, upcoming events, and newsworthy research and reflections.
What to Do While you Wait for DRS NOFOs
There are 50 Head Start/Early Head Start grants forecasted for which Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) were forecasted to be released on September 5. One week later, the NOFOs have not yet posted to grants.gov. If your program is waiting for a NOFO, we understand that this delay can create wrinkles in your planning. Below are a few ways you might use the time while you wait.
Preparing for Grant Writing Success: How to Use the “Pre-NOFO” Time Strategically
There are 50 Head Start/Early Head Start grants forecasted to open for competition next month and many grantees are awaiting the posting of the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO). NOFOs are scheduled to post to grants.gov on September 5, 2023, just three weeks away.The roughly eight-week turnaround time from a NOFO posting to applications being due goes very quickly. Leveraging the “pre-NOFO” time strategically can help to set a program on a path to successful grant writing. Here are a few tips for how you might use the time.
Up-to-Date Data Essential for DRS Grant Writing
If your program is preparing to write a DRS application this fall, now is a great time to consider the resources and information you will need for success. While there are many steps involved in preparing for and writing grant applications, today we focus on the importance of data updates as essential “pre-work.” Here are a few tips you might keep in mind.
50 Service Areas in 26 States and Puerto Rico to Open for DRS Competition
Last week, DRS grant competitions were forecasted to open in September 2023. New information is now available about the forecasted service areas. Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for DRS are organized by state. Within each of the NOFOs (once they are posted), there will be information about each service area and the corresponding funding amount up for competition. In the meantime, you can view the preliminary lists of service areas, estimated funding, and estimated number of awards in the Office of Head Start Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) Locator, and summarized below.
DRS Grants Forecasted to Open for Competition in September 2023
On July 19, 2023, 29 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov. Included are 25 NOFOs for Head Start/Early Head Start grants and 4 NOFOs for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants.
NOFOs Posted for Competitive HS/EHS Grants in New Jersey, North Dakota, and Texas
On March 14, 2023 three Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for competitive Head Start/Early Head Start grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. Applications for grants are due May 15, 2023. In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the Office of Head Start (OHS) Funding Opportunities website. Service areas with grants open for competition, estimated funding amounts, and estimated numbers of awards are listed below.
What to Expect for DRS in 2023
DRS can feel unpredictable as programs learn about deficiencies or await a grant competition. From timelines to process, it can be hard to know what to expect. In this blog post, we recap what we know about the status of DRS in 2023, from open competitions to what may come.
DRS NOFOs Posted for Four States and Applications Due January 24, 2023
On November 10, 2022, five Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities posted on grants.gov. These grants were forecasted in October and were expected to post earlier this month. Applications for DRS grants are due January 24, 2023.In addition to accessing NOFOs on grants.gov, they are downloadable from the Office of Head Start (OHS) Funding Opportunities website. Service areas with grants open for competition, estimated funding amounts, and estimated numbers of awards are summarized below.
DRS Grants Forecasted to Open for Competition in November 2022
On October 11, 2022, four of the eight Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities expected this fall were forecasted on grants.gov. At the NHSA Fall Leadership Institute, the Office of Head Start (OHS) announced that DRS grant competitions will be for service areas in Puerto Rico and seven states including Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
5 Tips for Successful Submission of DRS Round 10 Applications
The deadline for submission of DRS grant applications, February 2, 2022, is less than three weeks away. At this stage in the process, you are likely putting finishing touches on narrative, gathering appendix items, and planning for submission of your application. It’s the home stretch and carefully navigating the final steps of the application process will help to ensure timely and successful submission of your program’s application.
Two EHS Expansion & EHS-CCP Grants Included in DRS Round 10
Last week, the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for grants in the upcoming round of DRS were announced. This is the tenth round of DRS, and ten NOFOs were released for grants open for competition. Two of those NOFOs are for Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grants.
DRS Round 10 NOFOs Posted and Applications due February 2, 2022
The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the tenth round of Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant competitions were announced on Grants.gov on Friday, November 19. Applications are due no later than February 2, 2021. NOFOs are available on Grants.gov by searching for Head Start grant opportunities. If you’re used to seeing “Funding Opportunity Announcement” or “FOA” in grant documents, note that the Office of Head Start has begun using NOFO instead.
DRS Round 10 Forecasted to Open for Competition November 22
The tenth round of Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities were forecasted on grants.gov in July and were expected to open for competition in September. Grants.gov has been updated to reflect a new timeline. The estimated posting date for Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) is November 22, 2021. Applications are estimated to be due on January 21, 2022.
DRS Grant Competitions Delayed and New Grants Forecasted
The upcoming round of DRS was scheduled to open for competition on September 8, 2021. The forecasts for these grants were released in July and have not been updated since then. If you’re waiting for a DRS Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) to post, new activity on grants.gov may provide some insight.
Create Efficiencies with Internal Grant Writing Expertise
The next round of DRS is right around the corner, with grants competitions forecasted for September 2021. If your program plans to compete for funding through DRS, you may be determining roles and responsibilities for grant writing and submission of your agency’s proposal.For agencies that don’t have a clear grant writing process, you might need an external grant writer to facilitate the grant writing process from drafting to application submission. Foundations for Families offers this service, comprehensive grant writing.
DRS Round 10 Grant Competitions Forecasted for September 2021
The tenth round of Designation Renewal System (DRS) grant opportunities are now forecasted on grants.gov. The estimated posting date for Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) is September 8, 2021. Applications are estimated to be due on November 8, 2021.