Head Start/Early Head Start Recipient -- Communities in the state of Illinois

Background
The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start (OHS) is offering applicants the opportunity to apply for funding to serve pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and children from birth to compulsory school age in one application. The goal of this NOFO is to ensure the distribution of resources to meet the demonstrated community needs of children from birth to compulsory school age, ensuring continuity of services and taking into account the availability of high-quality and comprehensive early childhood education opportunities.

Grant Details
The Head Start program is administered by ACF, an operating division (OPDIV) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program provides grants to public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to predominately economically disadvantaged children and families. The programs emphasize family engagement, support parent engagement in their roles as their children’s teachers and advocates, and help parents move toward self-sufficiency. The programs are designed to increase the number of low-income children receiving high-quality, comprehensive early education services that help facilitate healthy development. Applicants are encouraged to bring new and innovative ideas that are evidence-based or evidence-informed to maximize the extent to which EHS and Head Start can prepare children and their families for school.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include local public or private non-profit agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or local for-profit agencies that can provide Head Start services to children and families residing in the service area(s) listed in the Appendix of this NOFO.

Eligibility is also extended to any public or private non-profit agencies or for-profit agencies that can provide EHS services to children and families residing in the service area(s) listed in the Appendix.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity.

Period of Performance
The project period is 60 months with five 12-month budget periods. The anticipated project start date is 07/01/2024.

Grant Value
$6,301,899 is the estimated total funding available with an expected number of awards being 2.

The award ceiling is $6,301,899 per budget period with a floor of $1,000,000 per budget period.

Place of Performance
Funding is available in communities with defined service areas within Illinois.