DEPARTMENT: Department of Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
SUBJECT:
Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grant Application
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the submission of an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant application in the amount of $3,341,600 to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of expanding access to high-quality, comprehensive services for low-income infants and toddlers and their families. The grant requires an in-kind match of up to $835,000 to be provided by the City and contracted service providers, if awarded.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Early Head Start program, established in 1994, is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funded early childhood education and development program for low-income families with infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 36 months) and pregnant women. Early Head Start programs provide family-centered, full-day, full-year services through relationship-based learning environments that support children's growth in all learning disciplines and the integration of family support services which further promotes school readiness for low-income children.
For over 20 years, the City of San Antonio, through DHS, has managed the Child Care Services program in the 12-county region of the Alamo Workforce Development Area. The program provides subsidized childcare for working families meeting income and other qualification requirements. The program serves an average of 8,100 children on a daily basis with over 3,200 children on a waitlist to receive subsidized childcare.
The City of San Antonio has served as a grantee for the Head Start Program for over 30 years. The City of San Antonio's Head Start program currently provides high-quality services to 3,020 children and their families in 27 Head Start centers located in SAISD and EISD for the school year 2014-2015.
On June 6, 2014, HHS released an opportunity announcing the availability of approximately $500 million to be competitively awarded to expand access to Early Head Start and Child Care partnership programs. All EHS and HS providers are eligible to apply.
The grant opportunity encourages partnerships between EHS and Child Care Subsidy Program providers and will leverage child care subsidies to eligible families to improve the quality of infant-toddler care. The partnership enables family participation in a two-generation workforce training strategy of supporting family economic self-sufficiency and adopts a model of providing comprehensive, integrated approaches to early education for children to enter a Birth to Five Continuum of high-quality early care and education. Currently, there are 642 Early Head Start slots in the county offered through three providers; AVANCE-San Antonio, Parent Child, Inc., and Center for New Communities.
ISSUE:
The City of San Antonio proposes to submit a grant application in the amount of $3,341,600 to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to serve 216 infants and toddlers through an integrated Early Head Start and Child Care Services program in community provider locations within San Antonio and Edgewood Independent School Districts, including the Eastside Promise Neighborhood Zone. Through this grant, DHS proposes to expand access to high-quality, comprehensive services for low-income infants and toddlers and their families and prepare them for the transition into preschool and ultimately moving families towards economic security and stability through education, workforce training, and related support services promoting self-sufficiency.
DHS wishes to expand Head Start to include EHS and create a Birth to Five Continuum of high-quality early care and education.
If awarded, the grant requires an in-kind match of up to $835,000 to be provided by the City and contracted service providers. For early education and development, DHS will contract with nonprofits and East Point affiliated child care providers. DHS will provide family support services, and will contract for medical and dental services.
The grant application is due to HHS on August 20, 2014. Notices of award are anticipated to be made in December 2014.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should City Council not approve submission, the funding opportunity to integrate Early Head Start and Child Care Program services may be awarded to new or other existing Early Head Start and Head Start grantees in the San Antonio community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the submission of an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership grant application to HHS for $3,341,600. The grant requires an in-kind match of up to $835,400 and will be provided by the City and contracted service providers, if awarded. Additionally, upon award, the Department of Human Services will request City Council approval to accept awarded funds, a program budget and personnel complement.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance authorizing submission of an Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grant application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).