If history serves as a guide, the next round of Early Head Start expansion and Early Head Start Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) funding opportunities will be released in October or November. Not only has Heartland been assisting programs in writing these applications since the very first round, but we were also part of the discussion for the design of the program, through my role as the executive director of the Colorado Head Start Association when this program came to fruition. It is helpful to know the context for the EHS-CCP program when making decisions about if your program should apply as well as the type of project you should apply for. The following points can provide some guidance:
The legislative mandate for the EHS-CCP program requires that each time there is an EHS-CCP grant opportunity, Early Head Start only expansion opportunities must be included. However, typically most of the awards go to programs applying to provide services using a child care partnership model only or a combination of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership slots.
The grant for the EHS-CCP program is very different than the designation renewal grants and the continuation applications that programs typically write. It is important to identify your partners early and design a fiscal model that leverages funds between programs. This can often be a program that you are already operating (if you are only applying for EHS expansion slots) or it might be a funding allocation for your child care partners. Every EHS-CCP grant Heartland has written is different. If you need help getting going or have questions, make sure to contact us early, as Heartland often books up for these grants before the funding opportunity announcement is even posted.
Review the last funding opportunity announcement (FOA) and resource items to get a good sense of your capacity to write this proposal. The scoring criteria can be used to plot out a grant writing strategy and can help you identify the information that you will need.