Title
Authorization to Apply For and Accept Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grant (Ordinance S-43132)
Description
Request retroactive authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for the Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grant for an amount not to exceed $3,293,281 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Head Start Birth to Five program. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept all funds related to this item if awarded.
Report
Summary
The Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership funding opportunity provides grant funds to expand access to high-quality, center-based comprehensive early learning services for low-income infants and toddlers and their families. The purpose is to improve early learning quality via full-day, full-year models. The program has made available $135 million to be competitively awarded nationally for grantees to partner with local child care providers to provide services to infants and toddlers. The grant also supports a non-partnership model in which the grantee could directly operate classrooms in areas where a qualified child care partner is not identified.
The City of Phoenix Early Head Start program currently partners with local child care partners to provide quality services to infants and toddlers. If awarded funds from the grant, the City would expand these child care partnerships in designated federal poverty areas and other zip codes within the City of Phoenix Early Head Start service area. The resulting expansion would provide an additional 112 full-day, full-year slots within the City of Phoenix Early Head Start service area. If awarded, the Human Services Department will conduct a competitive process to select child care partners and will return to Council for authority to enter into contracts and disburse funds.
Financial Impact
A 25 percent match required by the grant will be generated by community partners, contractors, volunteers, and City in-kind services. No additional General Funds are needed to operate programs as a result of this grant opportunity.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
On Sept. 28, 2016, the Parks, Arts, Education and Equality Subcommittee recommended approval to apply for and accept Early Head Start Expansion and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant funds by a vote of 3-0.
Location
Multiple locations in Districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Deanna Jonovich and the Human Services Department.