 
PDF Version|
Executive Summary: This grant award is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5). Funding will support the enrollment of additional children and families as well as create new teaching and other positions in Early Head Start programs. The Administration for Children and Families solicits applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations or for-profit organizations, that wish to compete for funds that are available to provide Early Head Start services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers and their families. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces the availability of approximately $619 million to be competitively awarded for the purpose of expanding enrollment by approximately 55,000 low-income children and their families. This expansion is only to increase the number of pregnant women, infants and toddlers served in Early Head Start. Financial assistance will be competitively awarded to local public and local non-profit and for-profit private entities, including Early Head Start and Head Start grantees, to provide child and family development services for low-income families with infants and toddlers ages birth to three years and pregnant women who are not currently being served by a Head Start or Early Head Start program. Early Head Start programs are funded to provide early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services. The purpose of the Early Head Start program is to enhance children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development; to assist pregnant women to access comprehensive prenatal and post partum care; to support parents' efforts to fulfill their parental roles; and to help parents move toward self-sufficiency. Research demonstrates that such early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive programs that are well implemented improve school readiness outcomes for children. This grant opportunity is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Successful applicants will be subject to reporting requirements consistent with the Act and with current Head Start regulations. All interested applicants can access information that will inform the design of quality Early Head Start programs that meet the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations and the Head Start Act on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov )I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION Funding is appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) and the Early Head Start program is authorized by Title VI, Subtitle A, Chapter 8, Subchapter B, of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35 as amended, (42 USC 9831 et. seq.), as amended by The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134. (42 USC 9801 seq.) including [42USC.9840A] (645A) http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf Description Early Head Start was established in 1995 as a program for low income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women. In creating Early Head Start, the Congress acted upon evidence from research and practice which indicates that the time from conception to age three is critical for human development and that for infants and toddlers to develop optimally, they must have healthy beginnings and the continuity of responsive and caring relationships. Early Head Start programs provide family-centered services designed to promote the development of the youngest children, and to enable their parents to fulfill their roles as parents and move toward self-sufficiency. The Early Head Start program provides resources to organizations to address and respond to the needs of low income infants and toddlers and pregnant women within the community. All applications must reflect full compliance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards that apply to Early Head Start. The link below can be followed to access the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations and the Head Start Act as reauthorized in December 2007. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs Applicants must submit funding proposals that fully describe how they will implement high quality, early, intensive, comprehensive and continuous child development and family support services through the provision of Early Head Start. All applicants must base their proposals on a careful community wide strategic planning and needs assessment that includes the identification of training and technical assistance needs. The Office of Head Start recognizes that more than one program option will likely be necessary to implement services that adapt to the changing needs of enrolled children and their families over the period of their involvement in Early Head Start. Eligible program options include center based, home based, family child care, combination and, subject to the concurrence of the Director of the Office of Head Start, locally designed options, or specialized service delivery models to address local community needs, including models that leverage the capacity and capabilities of the delivery system of early childhood education and development services or programs. Funds are provided under this announcement solely for the purpose of serving additional Early Head Start pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families and are not to be used to enhance existing services or convert Head Start enrollment to Early Head Start enrollment. The Office of Head Start believes that applicants must propose to serve a sufficient number of infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families that will assure their funding level is sufficient to permit them to have the full array of staffing and infrastructure support needed to operate a viable Early Head Start program. For many applicants, the Office of Head Start believes that this number of children and families should be 72 or more. However, applicants that already have appropriate administrative and management infrastructures may propose to serve fewer children. A toolkit of available resources to assist applicants in better understanding the purpose and requirements of the Early Head Start program is available on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center website (http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov). Program Background and Purpose Early Head Start programs must provide directly or through referral, early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services that will enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children, support parents' efforts to fulfill their parental roles; and help parents move toward self-sufficiency. Given the need for continuity of care for pregnant women, and infant and toddler age children, the Office of Head Start anticipates that applicants will propose serving children in a full-year model. The Office of Head Start expects that applicants requesting to implement a full-year model will propose per child costs that will, in most circumstances, be higher than the costs needed to provide part-year services. It is expected that applicants, based on community and family need, will select program options that best meet the changing needs of families over the time they are in the program. As family needs and circumstances change over time a variety of program options make it more likely that the applicant will meet those changing needs of families served. Applicants proposing full day options using multiple sources of funding must explain how they will continue to serve children whose families experience job loss and loss of work support, such as child care subsidies. Programs providing Early Head Start services will:
Support transition planning with families that ensures each pregnant woman and child experiences smooth transitions into Early Head Start and from Early Head Start to Head Start or other preschool programs. To meet the intent of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, programs are encouraged to begin enrolling children and pregnant women as soon as high quality services can reasonably be provided (i.e. when high quality facilities are ready and staff have been trained). Programs may begin serving children and pregnant women in, for example, home based options while facilities are being readied. Applicants must include a timeline that includes an enrollment plan that describes when they will begin serving children, and when they will reach full enrollment. Programs are to be in full compliance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards that apply to serving pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families. The Office of Head Start recognizes that start-up planning is critical to the success of Early Head Start (EHS) programs. Planning for the provision of EHS services requires a thoughtful process in both design and implementation. It must be guided by the needs of the community, as identified in the community assessment results used to justify the need for program services. Planning for program implementation should begin with this application, and continue at the time of funding. Start-up planning should include such areas as plans to recruit high quality staff with appropriate education and backgrounds, plans to provide such staff appropriate training, plans to secure access to high quality facilities, transportation plans, and plans to coordinate with other community providers, including Child Care and Development Fund providers, and those providers of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities as established in Part C of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that will assist in meeting the needs of the children and families proposed to be served by your agency. Activities completed during the planning process require a thorough review and understanding of relevant Head Start Program Performance Standards and all relevant requirements in the Head Start Act as amended December 12, 2007. All newly funded EHS grantees will have a variety of resources available to support their start-up efforts, including:
Training and Technical Assistance funding is available to support both the start-up phase, and the ongoing operation of the program. Applicants should identify all areas of support that are needed for planning and operations. Applicants must develop separate budgets to address Training and Technical Assistance needs in both the start up and ongoing operating budgets. While current EHS programs are funded to provide Training and Technical Assistance in a separate budget that is approximately 2.5% of their base, applicants are encouraged to submit applications that reflect the need for greater intensity of training and technical assistance in the early phases of the project. It is anticipated that the start-up Training and Technical Assistance budget for some programs may require 10% or more of the total request for funding. Once a program is fully operational, the Training and Technical Assistance allocation will be 2 ½% of its base funding. Applicants should, as appropriate, include the use of consultants with experience in implementing, or supporting the implementation of Early Head Start programs to assist with start up activities in their application submission. Head Start grantees must, unless a waiver is granted, contribute 20 percent of the total cost of the program from non-federal funds. More information on non-federal share is available under cost sharing and matching, Section III.2. No more than 15 percent of total costs may be for program administration (See 45 CFR Part 1301.32 for a discussion of administrative costs). An HHS official may grant a waiver of the 15 percent limitation on development and administrative costs and approve a higher percentage for a specific period of time not to exceed twelve months. Head Start is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, one of the principal components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Since its beginning in 1965, Head Start has served more than 25 million children and their families. Head Start, in FY 2008, served 906,992 children, of whom 61,764 were served in Early Head Start programs. There are approximately 1,600 Head Start grantees, including 679 grantees providing Early Head Start services. Eligible Participants Early Head Start provides services for low-income pregnant women and children from birth to three years of age. Families must either be below the poverty line or receiving public assistance to be income eligible for Early Head Start. In addition, homeless children and children in foster care are categorically eligible for Head Start. Head Start regulations, however, permit up to 10 percent of enrolled children and pregnant women to be from families that do not meet these low-income criteria. (NOTE: Please see Section 645(a) of the Head Start Act for a complete discussion of Head Start eligibility. It is not expected, however, given the relatively low Early Head Start participation rates, that the provisions of section 645(a)(1)(B) regarding serving up to 35% of a program’s enrollment from families with incomes between 100-130% of poverty would apply for this announcement). Head Start also requires that a minimum of 10 percent of children actually enrolled by the agency (and, as appropriate, delegate agencies) be children with disabilities unless a waiver of that requirement is granted. Program Announcement Description The Administration for Children and Families solicits applications from any public or private non-profit organizations, including community based faith-based organizations, or for-profit agencies, that wish to compete for funds that are available to provide Early Head Start services to pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families. Current Early Head Start grantees may apply to increase the number of children currently being served within their approved service area. All applicants, including current Early Head Start grantees, may apply to establish new Early Head Start programs in areas not currently served by Early Head Start. In metropolitan areas, or counties with large numbers of children who are not being served, current EHS grantees may apply to expand services. Other organizations will also be able to apply to serve children in the unserved portions of that service area. All applicants proposing to establish an Early Head Start program in any area currently unserved will be given equal consideration. American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) grantees that are current Early Head Start grantees are encouraged to apply for funds that would allow them to expand their Early Head Start program. AIAN grantees that are not current Early Head Start grantees are encouraged to apply for funds to establish an Early Head Start program in their community. Other federally recognized tribes that do not have a current Head Start grant are also encouraged to apply if interested in establishing an Early Head Start program in their community. Migrant and Seasonal (MSHS) grantees may apply for funding being made available under this announcement to establish an Early Head Start program that would serve migrant and seasonal infants, toddlers, pregnant women and their families in the service area they are currently authorized to serve. NOTE: There is no prohibition against a migrant program proposing to serve non-migrant/seasonal children in a program that, if funded, would be administered by one of the ACF Regional Offices in Regions I through X. As defined in the Head Start Act, Section 637: (17) the term "migrant or seasonal Head Start program" means (A) with respect to services for migrant farm workers, a Head Start program that serves families who are engaged in agricultural labor and who have changed their residence from one geographic location to another in the preceding 2-year period; and (B) with respect to services for seasonal farm workers, a Head Start program that serves families who are engaged primarily in seasonal agricultural labor and who have not changed their residence to another geographic location in the preceding 2-year period. Seasonal families do not migrate following agricultural work but spend part of their year working in agriculture, and part of the year working in other environments. Any agency proposing to serve seasonal families must provide program options that meet the needs of all migrant and seasonal families assuring appropriate continuity of services. Any applicant proposing to serve seasonal families for less than year round services must explain its rationale based on the results of the community assessment used to justify the funding request. ACF recognizes the challenges between a regionally-funded program wishing to serve seasonal families and a MSHS program wishing to serve both migrant and seasonal pregnant women, infants, and toddlers and their families. ACF, in this announcement, is not presuming that one agency should be given preference over another, but expects programs to work together to best meet the needs of seasonal children and their families. ACF will not fund duplicate or overlapping services for seasonal farmworker families. Applicants will compete against other applicants from the same State (or for AIAN or MSHS grantees against other AIAN/MSHS applicants). The estimated funding available to each State (and to AIAN, MSHS and the Trust Territories) can be found at Appendix A of this announcement. Interested applicants must call the ACYF Operations Center at (866) 796-1591 to receive pre-application materials and additional information. II. AWARD INFORMATION
Please see Section IV.5 for any restrictions on the use of funds for awards made under this announcement. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants
Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement. Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply under this announcement. Priority will be given to entities with a record of providing early, continuous, and comprehensive child and family development services. Please see "Eligibility Certification" found in Section IV.2 for any required documentation supporting eligibility. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Yes Grantees are required to meet a non-Federal share of the project costs, in accordance with Section 640(b) of the Head Start Act. Grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF (Federal) share and the non-Federal share. The non-Federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. For example, in order to meet the match requirements, a project requesting $1,000,000, in ACF (Federal) funds must provide a non-Federal share of the approved total project cost of at least $250,000 , which is 20 percent of total approved project cost of $1,250,000. Increased funds for expansion are subject to the non-Federal share (match) requirements of the Head Start Act. However, the Congress, in its Conference Report accompanying ARRA, reminds the Secretary of his/her authority, as discussed in the Head Start Act, to temporarily waive the non-federal share requirements and supports the Secretary’s exercise of this authority when appropriate. Any grantee that believes it will not be able to provide the required match for should note this in its funding proposal and include a discussion of the reasons it believes it will not be able to generate all or a portion of the required match. In light of the current economic crisis ACF will be receptive to reasonable arguments for such waivers. To receive a waiver or a reduction in the required non-Federal share, the applicant must provide ACF with written documentation of need. This request must identify which of the five waiver criteria found at Section 640(b)(1-5) of the Head Start Act it believes to be relevant. Approval of the waiver request cannot be assumed by the applicant without written notice from ACF. The non-Federal match will be evaluated consistent with the fifth bulleted criterion pertaining to BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION which is found in Section V of this announcement. Non-federal match may be in cash or in kind, fairly valued and could include such items as volunteer time, subsidized services, free or reduced rental costs and donated supplies and equipment. 3. Other: Disqualification Factors Applications with requests that exceed the ceiling on the amount of individual awards referenced in Section II. Award Information will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement. Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.3., Submission Dates and Times, will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement. IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Address to Request Application Package: Office of Head Start 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: This section provides information on the required form and content of application submissions. Applicants are required to submit one original and two copies of all application materials if applying in hard-copy. The original signature of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is required only on the original. Information on the required format, Standard Forms (SFs) and other forms, D-U-N-S Requirement, Project Description, Certifications, Assurances, Disclosures, Electronic Submission of applications and Hard Copy submission of applications is available in this section. A Checklist of required application elements is available for applicants' use in Section VIII of this announcement. Application Format Applications must be organized according to the checklist in Section VIII of this announcement. The project description of the application must be double-spaced and single-sided on 8.5" x 11" plain white paper, with 1" margins on all sides. Applicants must use a 12 point font throughout the application. All sections of the application (including appendices, resumes, charts, references/footnotes, tables, maps and exhibits) must be sequentially numbered, beginning on the first page after the table of contents. The length of the narrative portion of the application must be limited to 75 pages (including the abstract, budget and budget justification), with an additional limit of 60 pages for all appendices and resumes. Anything over 75 pages in the narrative portion of the application and anything over 60 pages in the appendices will be removed. The narrative section page length is based on double-spacing, and will be halved if single-spacing or one-and-a-half spacing is used. Numerical tables included as part of the narrative may be single-spaced. Each application should be submitted in the following order: SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, Table of Contents, Program Abstract, Objectives and Need for Assistance, Results or Benefits Expected, Approach, Staff and Position Data, Organizational Profiles, and Budget and Budget Justification. Additional supporting documentation should be placed in the appendices. Assurances and Certifications may be placed after the appendices. Each application will be duplicated. Therefore, please do not use or include colored paper, colored ink, separate covers, binders, clips, tabs, plastic inserts, over-sized paper, videotapes, or any other items that cannot be easily duplicated on a photocopy machine with an automatic feed. Do not bind, clip, staple, or fasten separate subsections of the application in any way, including the supporting documentation. Additional Information Applicants who are currently operating as a Head Start grantee or delegate agency must include documentation of Policy Council/Committee approval of the application. Applicants must submit the qualifications for board members, Executive Director, Early Head Start Director, and Financial Manager/Chief Financial Officer as described in section 642(c)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act. Applicants, including faith based organizations, are required to submit: (1) proof of legal or corporate status; (2) proof of non-profit status if a non-profit agency; (3) certification of the organization's last audit report; (4) a copy of its personnel policies and procedures; (5) resumes of key staff in the organization and in the proposed Head Start program; and (6) the organization's negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. Successful applicants to whom the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement is not applicable will be asked to submit a post-award Cost Allocation Plan. For-profit child care centers must agree to waive their fee/profit. ACF reserves the right to deny funding to any applicant that is presently designated as "high risk", probationary or not in good standing, or has been debarred or defunded by any Federal agency. In addition, ACF may elect not to fund applicants that have management or financial problems that make it unlikely the applicant would be able to provide effective Head Start services. ACF also reserves the right to make funding decisions that ensure geographic distribution, serve unique or emerging populations, reach pockets at high levels of poverty or meet other specific needs. Non-Federal Reviewers Since ACF will be using non-Federal reviewers in the review process, applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget as well as Social Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals. The copies may include summary salary information. If applicants are submitting their application electronically, ACF will omit the same specific salary rate information from copies made for use during the review and selection process. Forms Applicants seeking financial assistance under this announcement must file the appropriate Standard Forms (SFs) as described in this section. All applicants must submit an SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. For non-construction programs, applicants must also submit an SF-424A, Budget Information and an SF-424B, Assurances. For construction programs, applicants must also submit SF-424C, Budget Information and SF-424D, Assurances. All required Standard Forms are available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. Non-profit private organizations (not including private universities) are encouraged to submit the "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants" with their applications. Applicants using a hard copy application, place the completed survey in an envelope labeled "Applicant Survey." Seal the envelope and include it along with your application package. Applicants applying electronically, please submit this survey along with your application. The Survey may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. D-U-N-S Requirement All applicants must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number. A D-U-N-S number is required whenever an applicant is submitting a paper application or using the government-wide electronic portal, Grants.gov. A D-U-N-S number is required for every application for a new award or renewal/continuation of an award, including applications or plans under formula, entitlement, and block grant programs. A D-U-N-S number may be acquired at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free D-U-N-S number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or you may request a number online at http://www.dnb.com. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Part I THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW PURPOSE The project description provides the majority of information by which an application is evaluated and ranked in competition with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete. It should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing the project description, information that is responsive to each of the requested evaluation criteria must be provided. Awarding offices use this and other information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application in a manner that is clear and complete. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS ACF is particularly interested in specific project descriptions that focus on outcomes and convey strategies for achieving intended performance. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance and measurable outcomes, not length. Extensive exhibits are not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix. Part II GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING A FULL PROJECT DESCRIPTION INTRODUCTION Applicants that are required to submit a full project description shall prepare the project description statement in accordance with the following instructions while being aware of the specified evaluation criteria. The text options give a broad overview of what the project description should include while the evaluation criteria identify the measures that will be used to evaluate applications. TABLE OF CONTENTS List the contents of the application including corresponding page numbers. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Provide a summary of the project description (one page or less) with reference to the funding request. OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE RESULTS OR BENEFITS EXPECTED Identify the results and benefits to be derived. APPROACH Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement. Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates. If any data is to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated, clearance may be required from OMB. This clearance pertains to any "collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF." Provide a list of organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The following are requests for additional information that must be included in the application:
BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocation of the proposed costs.
(As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, P.L. 104-13, the public reporting burden for the Project Description is estimated to average 40 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection information. The Project Description information collection is approved under OMB control number 0970-0139, which expires 4/30/2010. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.) Certifications Applicants must furnish, prior to award, an executed copy of the Certification Regarding Lobbying. Applicants must sign and return the certification with their application. If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit Standard Form (SF)-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions. The Certification Regarding Lobbying may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. When required for programs that involve human subjects, the Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption form must be submitted. All forms may be reproduced for use in submitting applications. Applicants must sign and return the appropriate standard forms with their application. The Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption (Common Rule) form may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. Assurances By signing and submitting the application, applicants are making the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. The Pro-Children Act of 1994, 20 U.S.C. 7183, imposes restrictions on smoking in facilities where federally funded children's services are provided. HHS grants are subject to these requirements only if they meet the Act's specified coverage. The Act specifies that smoking is prohibited in any indoor facility (owned, leased, or contracted for) used for the routine or regular provision of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education or library services to children under the age of 18. In addition, smoking is prohibited in any indoor facility or portion of a facility (owned, leased, or contracted for) used for the routine or regular provision of federally funded health care, day care, or early childhood development, including Head Start services to children under the age of 18. The statutory prohibition also applies if such facilities are constructed, operated, or maintained with Federal funds. The statute does not apply to children's services provided in private residences, facilities funded solely by Medicare or Medicaid funds, portions of facilities used for inpatient drug or alcohol treatment, or facilities where WIC coupons are redeemed. Failure to comply with the provisions of the law may result in the imposition of a civil monetary penalty of up to $1,000 per violation and/or the imposition of an administrative compliance order on the responsible entity. Additional information may be found in the HHS Grants Policy Statement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_related.html. Electronic Submission Applicants to ACF may submit their applications in either electronic or paper (hard copy) format. To submit an application electronically, applicants must use the http://www.Grants.gov site. ACF will not accept applications via facsimile or email. IMPORTANT NOTE: Before submitting an application electronically, applicants must complete the organization registration process as well as obtain and register "electronic signature credentials" for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Applicants also must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). CCR registration must be updated annually. Applicants will not be able to upload an application to Grants.gov without current CCR registration and electronic signature credentials for the AOR. This process may take more than five business days, so it is important to start this process early, well in advance of the application deadline. Be sure to complete all Grants.gov registration processes listed on the Organization Registration Checklist at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/registration_checklist.html. Applicants will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. If planning to submit an application electronically via http://www.Grants.gov:
After the application is submitted electronically, the applicant will receive two emails from Grants.gov:
ACF will retrieve the electronically submitted application from Grants.gov. Applicants will receive an email notification from ACF acknowledging that ACF has received the application. ACF may request that the applicant provide original signatures on forms at a later date. The Grants.gov website complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Grants.gov webpages are designed to work with assistive technologies such as screen readers. If an applicant uses assistive technology and is unable to access any material on the site, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov for assistance. Hard Copy Submission of Applications Applicants that are submitting their application in paper format should submit one original and two copies of the complete application with all attachments, unless directed otherwise. The original and each of the two copies must include all required forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and be unbound. The original copy of the application must have original signature(s). See Section IV.6 of this announcement for address information for application submissions. Please refer to Section VIII for a checklist of application requirements, their location and due dates that applicants may use in developing and organizing application materials. Please refer to Section IV.3 for details concerning acknowledgement of received applications. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Due Date for Applications: 07/09/2009 Explanation of Due Dates The due date for receipt of applications is referenced above. Applications received after 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the due date will be classified as late and will not be considered in the current competition. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that applications are mailed or hand-delivered or submitted electronically well in advance of the application due date and time. Applications that are submitted by mail must be received no later than 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the due date referenced above at the address listed in Section IV.6. Hand Delivery Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, other representatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriers must be received on or before the due date referenced above, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, at the address referenced in Section IV.6., between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). Electronic Submission Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the due date referenced above. ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by facsimile or email. Late Applications Applications that do not meet the requirements above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition. ANY APPLICATION RECEIVED AFTER 4:30 P.M., EASTERN TIME, ON THE DUE DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR COMPETITION. Extension of Deadlines ACF may extend application deadlines when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur; when there are widespread disruptions of mail service; or in other rare cases. A determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rests with the Chief Grants Management Officer. Acknowledgement of Received Application ACF will provide acknowledgement of receipt of hard copy application packages submitted via mail, courier services, or by hand delivery. Applicants who submit their application packages electronically via http://www.Grants.gov will receive two email acknowledgements from that website:
4. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs: State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) This program is covered under Executive Order (E.O.) 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 Executive Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. Applicants should go to the following URL for the official list of the jurisdictions that have elected to participate in E.O. 12372 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert them of their prospective applications and to receive instructions on their jurisdiction's procedures. Applicants must submit all required application materials to the SPOC and indicate the date of submission on the Standard Form (SF) 424 at item 19. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application due date to comment on proposed new awards. SPOC comments may be submitted directly to ACF to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 6th Floor East, Washington, DC 20447. Entities that meet the eligibility requirements of this announcement are still eligible to apply for a grant even if a State, Territory or Commonwealth, etc., does not have a SPOC or has chosen not to participate in the process. Applicants from non-participating jurisdictions need take no action with regard to E.O. 12372. Applications from Federally-recognized Indian Tribal governments are not subject to E.O. 12372. 5. Funding Restrictions: Costs of organized fund raising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions, are unallowable under this grant award. Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Submit applications to one of the following addresses: Submission by Mail Office of Head Start Hand Delivery Office of Head Startc/o ACYF Operations Center 118 Q Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Electronic Submission See Section IV.2 for application requirements and for guidance when submitting applications electronically via http://www.Grants.gov. For all submissions, see Section IV.3 for information on due dates. V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. CRITERIA: The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance that ACF places on each evaluation criterion; applicants should develop their applications precisely according to the order presented. Application components may be organized such that a reviewer will be able to follow a seamless and logical flow of information (i.e., from a broad overview of the project to more detailed information about how it will be conducted). In considering how applicants will carry out the responsibilities addressed under this announcement, competing applications for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE - 15 points The application must identify the geographic location it proposes to serve. The applicant must define the area(s) of greatest need and show how it will direct Early Head Start resources to these areas. The following factors will be used to assist in the review and evaluation of applicants under this criterion: Objectives and Need for Services – 8 points
Community Presence – 7 points
RESULTS OR BENEFITS EXPECTED - 10 points
APPROACH - 35 points The applicant must describe the design and approach of the proposed program and how it will meet the needs of the population it plans to serve. Program services must meet requirements established by the Head Start Program Performance Standards and other pertinent regulations (i.e. 45 CFR Parts 1301-1311) and relevant provisions of the Head Start Act. The following factors will be used to assist in the review and evaluation of applications under this criterion. They are divided into three sections: Program Planning - 10 points:
Program Services/Support - 15 points:
STAFF AND POSITION DATA - 10 points This section measures the qualifications and experience of the applicant and the applicant's staff in planning, organizing and providing comprehensive child development services at the community level. The following factors will be used to evaluate this criterion:
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES - 10 points This section measures the capabilities of the applicant to implement and sustain its plan for providing comprehensive child development services at the community level. The following factors will be used to evaluate this criterion:
BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - 20 points This section will evaluate the extent to which the project's costs are appropriate and reasonable in view of the activities to be carried out and the anticipated outcomes. The following factors will be used to assist in the review and evaluation of applications under this criterion:
2. Review and Selection Process: No grant award will be made under this announcement on the basis of an incomplete application. Initial ACF Screening: Each application will be screened to determine whether it was received by the closing date and time and whether the requested amount exceeds the stated ceiling. Late applications or those exceeding the funding limit will be returned to the applicants with a notation that they were unacceptable and will not be reviewed. Applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria described in Section V of this announcement. The review will be conducted by one or more panels of reviewers who are knowledgeable about Early Head Start programs and early childhood development. Each panel is composed of three reviewers and one chair. The results of the competitive review will be taken into consideration by ACF in deciding the project to be funded but are not in themselves binding. The responsible HHS official will consider other relevant factors, some of which are described below, in making the final decision. ACF may elect not to fund applicants who have management or financial problems that make it unlikely that the applicant would be able to provide effective Early Head Start services. Also, ACF may decide not to fund projects with what it regards as unreasonably large initial start-up costs for facilities or equipment, or projects with unreasonably high operating costs. For-profit agencies which wish to apply for Head Start funding should be aware that there are regulatory and statutory provisions that relate specifically to them. The most important of the regulations is at 45 CFR Part 74, Subpart E "Special Provisions for Awards to Commercial Organizations," which states that "no HHS funds may be paid as profit to any recipient." As a result, applications from for-profit, nonprofit, and public agencies will be reviewed in the same manner. Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of a Financial Assistance Award which sets forth the amount of funds awarded, the terms and conditions of the grant, the budget period for which support is given, the non-federal share to be provided, and the total period for which support is provided. ACF reserves the right to consider unique populations, geographic distribution, and pockets of poverty in its funding decisions.Priority will be given to entities with a record of providing early, continuous, and comprehensive child and family development services. Please refer to Section IV.2 of this announcement for information on non-Federal reviewers in the review process. Approved but Unfunded Applications Applications that are approved but unfunded may be held over for funding in the next funding cycle, pending the availability of funds, for a period not to exceed one year. 3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates: VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 1. Award Notices: Successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of a Notice of Award (NoA) document that sets forth the amount of funds granted, the terms and conditions of the grant, the effective date of the grant, the budget period for which initial support will be given, the non-Federal share to be provided (if applicable), and the total project period for which support is contemplated. The NoA will be signed by the Grants Officer and transmitted via postal mail. Following the finalization of funding decisions, organizations whose applications will not be funded will be notified by letter, signed by the Program Office head. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Grantees are subject to the administrative requirements in 45 CFR Part 74 (for non-governmental entities) or 45 CFR Part 92 (for governmental entities). Direct Federal grants, sub-award funds, or contracts under this ACF program shall not be used to support inherently religious activities such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. Therefore, organizations must take steps to separate, in time or location, their inherently religious activities from the services funded under this program. Regulations pertaining to the Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations, which includes the prohibition against Federal funding of inherently religious activities, can be found at the HHS web site at: http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf. A faith-based organization receiving HHS funds retains its independence from Federal, State, and local governments, and may continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs. For example, a faith-based organization may use space in its facilities to provide secular programs or services funded with Federal funds without removing religious art, icons, scriptures, or other religious symbols. In addition, a faith-based organization that receives Federal funds retains its authority over its internal governance, and it may retain religious terms in its organization's name, select its board members on a religious basis, and include religious references in its organization's mission statements and other governing documents in accordance with all program requirements, statutes, and other applicable requirements governing the conduct of HHS funded activities. Additional information on "Understanding the Regulations Related to the Faith-Based and Community Initiative" can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/regulations/index.html. HHS Grants Policy Statement The HHS Grants Policy Statement (GPS) is the Department of Health and Human Services new single policy guide for discretionary grants and cooperative agreements. Unlike previous HHS policy documents, the GPS is intended to be shared with and used by grantees. It became effective October 1, 2006 and is applicable to all Operating Divisions (OPDIVS), such as the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), except the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The GPS covers basic grants processes, standard terms and conditions, and points of contact, as well as important OPDIV-specific requirements. Appendices include a glossary of terms and a list of standard abbreviations for ease of reference. The GPS may be accessed at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_related.html. The regulations relevant to Head Start are:
Copies of the current applicable Head Start regulations are available at the websites identified at the end of this announcement. In addition, copies of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars that apply to Head Start grantees can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_circulars.html 3. Reporting Requirements: Grantees will be required to submit performance progress and financial reports periodically throughout the project period. Frequency of reporting is listed later in this section. Beginning with FY 2009 awards, most ACF grantees will begin using the Standard Form (SF) for required performance progress reporting (PPR). The SF-PPR is a standard government-wide performance progress reporting format consisting of a series of forms implemented by Federal agencies to collect performance information from award recipients. Most ACF grantees will begin using the standard format implemented through ACF's Office of Grants Management (OGM), entitled the "ACF-OGM-SF-PPR." Use of the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR will begin for new awards and continuation awards made by ACF in FY 2009. At a minimum, grantees will be required to submit the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR, which consists of the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR Coversheet and the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR Appendix B Program Indicators. ACF Programs that utilize other SF-PPR reporting formats, or other reporting forms or formats that differ from the new ACF-OGM-SF-PPR, have listed those forms or formats below. Grant award documents will inform grantees of the appropriate performance progress report form or format to use beginning in FY 2009. Grantees will continue to use the Financial Status Report (FSR) SF-269 (long form) for required financial reporting. The SF-269 (long form) and the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. Grantees should consult their award documents to determine the appropriate performance progress report format required under their award. Performance progress and financial reports are due 30 days after the end of the reporting period. Final program performance and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period. Final reports may be submitted in hard copy to the Grants Management Office Contact listed in Section VII. of this announcement. Program Progress Reports: Semi-Annually
VII. AGENCY CONTACTS Program Office Contact: Angie Godfrey For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)). Grants Management Office Contact: David Kadan For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)). VIII. OTHER INFORMATION Checklist You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package.
May 4, 2009
Attachment 1 Standard Terms and Conditions 1. Other Standard Terms and Conditions All other grant policy terms and conditions contained in applicable Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grant Policy Statements apply unless they conflict or are superseded by the following terms and conditions implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) requirements below. Recipients are responsible for contacting their HHS grant/program managers for any needed clarifications. 2. Recipient Reporting Recipients of Federal awards from funds authorized under Division A of the ARRA must comply with all requirements specified in Division A of the ARRA (Public Law 111-5), including reporting requirements outlined in Section 1512 of the Act. For purposes of reporting, ARRA recipients must report on ARRA sub-recipient (sub-grantee and sub-contractor) activities as specified below. Not later than 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter, starting with the quarter ending June 30, 2009 and reporting by July 10, 2009, the recipient must submit quarterly reports to HHS that will posted to Recovery.gov, containing the following information:
For any sub-award equal to or larger than $25,000, the following information: The definition of terms and data elements, as well as any specific instructions for reporting, including required formats, will be provided in subsequent guidance issued by HHS. 3. Buy American - Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods Recipients may not use any funds obligated under this award for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States or unless HHS waives the application of this provision. (ARRA Sec. 1605) 4. Wage Rate Requirements [This term and condition shall not apply to tribal contracts entered into by the Indian Health Service funded with this appropriation. (ARRA Title VII—Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Facilities)] 5. Preference for Quick Start Activities (ARRA) In using funds for this award for infrastructure investment, recipients shall give preference to activities that can be started and completed expeditiously, including a goal of using at least 50 percent of the funds for activities that can be initiated not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of ARRA. Recipients shall also use grant funds in a manner that maximizes job creation and economic benefit. (ARRA Sec. 1602) 6. Limit on Funds (ARRA) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in ARRA may be used by any State or local government, or any private entity, for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool. (ARRA Sec. 1604) 7. Disclosure of Fraud or Misconduct Each recipient or sub-recipient awarded funds made available under the ARRA shall promptly refer to the HHS Office of Inspector General any credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent, contractor, sub-recipient, subcontractor, or other person has submitted a false claim under the False Claims Act or has committed a criminal or civil violation of laws pertaining to fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, gratuity, or similar misconduct involving those funds. The HHS Office of Inspector General can be reached at http://www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/hotline/ 8. Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Recipients agree to separately identify the expenditures for each grant award funded under ARRA on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) and the Data Collection Form (SF-SAC) required by Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133, “Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations.” This identification on the SEFA and SF-SAC shall include the Federal award number, the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number, and amount such that separate accountability and disclosure is provided for ARRA funds by Federal award number consistent with the recipient reports required by ARRA Section 1512(c). (2 CFR 215.26, 45 CFR 74.26, and 45 CFR 92.26) 9. Responsibilities for Informing Sub-recipients Recipients agree to separately identify to each sub-recipient, and document at the time of sub-award and at the time of disbursement of funds, the Federal award number, any special CFDA number assigned for ARRA purposes, and amount of ARRA funds. (2 CFR 215.26, 45 CFR 74.26, and 45 CFR 92.26) Appendix A
*Unallocated funds will be used, as necessary, to allow OHS to provide an applicant with an appropriate funding level, if there are insufficient funds remaining in the state to do so. For example, if there was, say, $400,000 remaining in a state after funding the top rated proposals and the next rated proposal required $600,000 to implement a rational expansion in terms of serving an appropriate number of children; OHS would use $200,000 of the reserve to permit such an expansion. Appendix B - References
Posted on May 8, 2009 |
