Fiscal Year 2000 Discretionary Announcement for Nationwide Expansion Competition of Early Head Start; Availability of Funds and Request for Applications

AGENCY:

Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), DHHS.

ACTION:

Notice of Fiscal Year 2000 Early Head Start availability of financial assistance for nationwide expansion competition and request for applications.

SUMMARY:

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families announces approximately $40 million in financial assistance to be competitively awarded to public and private non-profit and for-profit entities—including Early Head Start and Head Start grantees—to provide child and family development services for low-income families with children under age three and pregnant women. Early Head Start programs provide early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services on a year-round basis to low-income families. The purpose of the Early Head Start program is to enhance children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development; to support parents' efforts to fulfill their parental roles; and to help parents move toward self-sufficiency.

The funds available will be competitively awarded to eligible applicants to operate Early Head Start programs.

Grants will be awarded to establish or expand Early Head Start programs. Current Early Head Start grantees may apply to expand the number of children they enroll within the areas they currently serve or to initiate services in other local areas that are not currently being served. Other applicants may not apply to operate programs in the areas that are already served by current Early Head Start grantees, but may apply to establish an Early Head Start program in an area which is currently unserved (see Appendix A for the list of geographic areas currently being served and unavailable for new grantees).

DATES:

The closing date and time for receipt of applications is 5:00 p.m. EDT on May 1, 2000.

Note:

Applications should be submitted to the ACYF Operations Center at: 1815 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209. However, prior to preparing and submitting an application, in order to satisfactorily compete under this announcement, it will be necessary for potential applicants to read the full announcement which is available through the addresses listed below.

ADDRESSES:

A copy of the program announcement, necessary application forms, and appendices can be obtained by contacting: Early Head Start, ACYF Operations Center, 1815 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22209. The telephone number is 1-800-351-2293.

Or email to: ehs@lcgnet.com.

Copies of the program announcement and necessary application forms can be downloaded from the Head Start web site at: www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

ACYF Operations Center at: 1815 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209 or telephone: 1-800-351-2293 or email to: ehs@lcgnet.com

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants:

Applicants eligible to apply to become an Early Head Start program are public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies. Early Head Start and Head Start grantees are eligible to apply.

Project Duration:

For new Early Head Start grantees, the competitive awards made through this announcement will be for one-year budget periods and an indefinite project period. Subsequent year budget awards will be made non-competitively, subject to availability of funds and the continued satisfactory performance of the applicant. However, any current Early Head Start grantee which is successful in this competition will not be funded for an indefinite project period, but rather will be given a supplement to its current, time limited grant. A grantee, for example, currently funded for $200,000 with a project period ending September 30, 2002 which is awarded another $100,000 through this announcement would then be funded as a $300,000 Early Head Start grantee with a project period that still ends on September 30, 2002. This would be true regardless of whether the new funds are to expand services within the grantee's current service area or to expand into another currently unserved area. Prior to the end of an Early Head Start grantee's current project period (i.e., September 30, 2002 in the above example), ACF will announce a competition for those areas served by each EHS grantee whose project period is nearing an end. In such a competition, current EHS grantees in good standing, who submit acceptable applications, will be given priority in funding decisions.

Federal Share of Project Costs:

In most cases, the Federal share will not be more than 80 percent of the total approved costs of the project.

Matching Requirements:

Grantees that operate Early Head Start programs must, in most instances, provide a non-Federal contribution of at least 20 percent of the total approved costs of the project.

Available Funds:

See Appendix B for the list of the approximate amount of funds available for States. These estimates have been developed based primarily on: (1) The statutory formula which determines the distribution of all Head Start program funds among the States, and (2) the existing distribution of funds.

Anticipated Number of Projects to be Funded:

It is estimated that there will be 100-125 awards.

Statutory Authority:

The Head Start Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.

Evaluation Criteria:

Competing applications for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated on the six criteria which are summarized below. The point values following each criterion indicate the numerical weight each criterion will be accorded in the review process.

Criterion 1. Objectives and Need for Assistance (15 points)

The extent to which, based on community assessment information, the applicant identifies any relevant physical, economic (e.g., poverty in the community), social, financial, institutional, or other issues which demonstrate a need for the Early Head Start program.

The extent to which the applicant lists relevant program objectives that adequately address the strengths and needs of the community.

The extent to which the applicant describes the population to be served by the project and explains why this population is most in need of the services to be provided by the program.

The extent to which the applicant gives a precise location and rationale for the project site(s) and area(s) to be served by the proposed project. If the applicant is a current grantee planning to expand its program it needs to demonstrate that the geographic area is currently underserved or, where applicable, unserved by Early Head Start Programs. If the applicant is new, it needs to demonstrate that the proposed service area is currently unserved by Early Head Start programs.

Criterion 2. Results or Benefits Expected (10 points)

The extent to which the applicant identifies the results and benefits to be derived from the project and links these to the stated objectives.

The extent to which the applicant describes the kinds of data to be collected and how they will be utilized to measure progress towards the stated results or benefits.

Criterion 3. Approach (25 points)

The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

The extent to which the applicant explains why the approach chosen is effective in light of the needs, objectives, results and benefits described above.

The extent to which the approach is grounded in recognized standards and/or guidelines for high quality service provision or is defensible from a research or “best practices” standpoint.

Criterion 4. Staff and Position Data and Organization Profiles (15 points)

The extent to which the proposed program director, proposed key project staff, the organization's experience, including experience in providing early, continuous, and comprehensive child and family development services, and the organization's history with the community demonstrate the ability to effectively and efficiently administer a project of this size, complexity and scope.

The extent to which the applicant's management plan demonstrates sufficient management capacity to implement a high quality Early Head Start program.

The extent to which the organization demonstrates an ability to carry out continuous improvement activities.

Criterion 5. Third Party Agreements/Collaboration (15 points)

The extent to which the applicant presents documentation of efforts (letters of commitment, interagency agreements, etc.) to establish and maintain ongoing collaborative relationships with community partners.

The extent and thoroughness of approaches to combining Early Head Start resources and capabilities with those of other local child care agencies and providers to provide high quality child care services to infants and toddlers which meet the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Criterion 6. Budget and Budget Justification (20 points)

The extent to which the program's costs are reasonable in view of the planning and activities to be carried out and the anticipated outcomes.

The extent to which the program has succeeded in garnering cash or in-kind resources, in excess of the required Federal match, from local, State, other Federal or private funding sources. The extent to which costs for facilities are reasonable and cost effective.

The extent to which the salaries and fringe benefits reflect the level of compensation appropriate for the responsibilities of staff.

The extent to which assurances are provided that the applicant can and will contribute the non-Federal share of the total project cost.

Required Notification of the State Single Point of Contact

This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” and 45 CFR Part 100, “Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities.” Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs.

All States and territories except Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, American Samoa, and Palau have elected to participate in the Executive Order process and have established Single Points of Contact (SPOCs). Applicants from these jurisdictions need not take action regarding Executive Order 12372.

Applications for projects to be administered by Federally recognized Indian Tribes are also exempt from the requirements of Executive Order 12372. Otherwise, applicants should contact their SPOC as soon as possible to alert them to the prospective application and to receive any necessary instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOC as early as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. It is imperative that the applicant submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a.

Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.

SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations.

Additionally, SPOCs are requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations which may trigger the “accommodate or explain” rule.

When comments are submitted directly to the ACF, they should be addressed to: William Wilson, Head Start Bureau, Grants Officer, 330 C Street S.W., Room 2220, Washington, D.C. 20447. Attn: Early Head Start Nationwide Competition/Expansion.

A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory can be found on the following web site: http://www.hhs.gov/progorg/grantsnet/laws-reg/spoc999.htm

Appendix A—Early Head Start Expansion, FY 2000 Service Areas

Appendix B—State Allocation Estimates

The following States will compete in a multi-state pool of $3,000,000: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Outer Pacific, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Migrant Programs.