Head Start/Early Head Start Recipient - Communities in the State of Colorado

Grants to Colorado nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public agencies, IHEs, and faith-based organizations in eligible regions for programs to prepare children from birth to age five for school. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take several weeks to complete. Funding is intended for programs to give disadvantaged children a strong early education so that they arrive in kindergarten on par with their peers. Eligible counties include Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Huerfano, Las Animas, and Pueblo Counties.

The federally funded Head Start program provides high-quality, comprehensive early education programming to low-income children and families so that children start school ready to succeed. The 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. This NOFO solicits applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations or for-profit organizations, that seek to provide a high-quality, comprehensive program incorporating both Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) funding, or to provide services for Head Start only or EHS only, in a manner that ensures continuous services and seamless transitions for children and families residing in one specifically defined service area in the state of Colorado.

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 (which may include public pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds). Applicants proposing to serve pregnant women are expected to serve the newborn through the EHS program. Applicants should thoughtfully consider their reason for deciding to apply to conduct a program to serve the proposed population, including the particular age group of children and, if applicable, pregnant women. This decision should be based on the needs of the community. This NOFO provides applicants the opportunity to propose to reallocate funding between Head Start and EHS based on both the needs in the community and the applicant's capacity and experience serving pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and/or preschool-age children. Applicants may explore combining Head Start and EHS funds with resources from other early childhood programs or funding streams, including state, local, and private sector funding for child care, pre-kindergarten, and special education services. Please note that applicants responding to this NOFO will be expected to begin providing Head Start and/or EHS services quickly after award, with a minimal start-up period, to support limited to no disruption in services to the currently enrolled children and families in this service area.

For further information, please see the Program Description section starting on p. 4 of the FOA.