DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council Districts 5 and 6
SUBJECT: Early Head Start Grant Opportunity
SUMMARY:
The Department of Human Services (DHS) requests authorization of the following budgetary, grant and associated actions related to an application to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Early Head Start program in partnership with Edgewood Independent School District (EISD):
a) Submission of application to ACF and acceptance upon award of up to $2,254,384.00 for the EHS program budget, which includes up to $224,752.00 for start-up funds. An in-kind match of up to $563,596.00 will be required, for a total budget of $2,817,980.00. This will fund 80 childcare center based slots and 48 home based slots for children six weeks to three years of age;
b) The application will request funds to allocate 80 EHS slots to EISD early childhood program located at Cardenas and Stafford Head Start/Early Childhood Centers and 48 slots for home based services provided to families within EISD;
c) The proposed personnel complement of five (5) positions; and
d) Furthermore, this ordinance authorizes the Director of Human Services to initiate, negotiate, and execute any and all necessary documents and a grant contract to effectuate the acceptance of the referenced grant, and to execute contract amendments pertaining to this contract, to include: a) carry-over funds, when ascertained and approved by the funding agency through a revised notice of award; b) line item budget revisions authorized by the funding agency; c) modifications to the performance measures authorized by the funding agency and listed in the contract so long as the terms of the amendment stay within the general parameters of the intent of the grant; d) no cost extensions; e) amendments which will provide supplemental grant funds to the grant by the funding agency in an amount up to 20% of the total amount awarded to the grant; f) reimbursement increases of administrative funds for each participant served; g) amendments funding one time equipment purchases or defined program services; and h) changes in regulations mandated by the funding agency if awarded and matching funds are available in City’s budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On September 13, 2019, the ACF announced the availability of approximately $3.388 million to be awarded to provide Head Start and/or Early Head Start (EHS) high-quality, comprehensive services to low-income infants and toddlers (0 to 3) and their families.
DHS currently manages both Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) and Head Start program grants servicing the San Antonio ISD and Edgewood ISD communities. These programs provide early care and education and support services to more than 11,000 children and their families on a daily basis.
In April 2015, through City Council Ordinance 2015-04-02-0232, DHS accepted funds from HHS to establish an EHS-CCP, an HHS-funded early childhood education and development program for low-income families with infants and toddlers (ages six weeks to 35 months). EHS-CCP provides children with safe and enriching learning environments to promote physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development while supporting parents and families by addressing social and economic needs through customized case management and supports.
Through this grant application, DHS requests to add 128 EHS slots - 80 slots in center base care and 48 slots in home base care within EISD - to build capacity in some of this community’s most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. All families served by the EHS Program will live in EISD, where there are 2,515 children under the age of three and 22.4% are eligible for EHS. In 2015, there were an estimated 1,221 pregnant women living in these neighborhoods, demonstrating a continuing need for EHS services including services to pregnant women. Children At Risk has recently categorized the targeted area as a “childcare desert”: there are 17 childcare centers, with 1,287 slots, none of which have earned a designation in the Texas’ QRIS system.
DHS proposes in this grant application to provide access to full-day, full-year, comprehensive EHS services aligned to the needs and strengths of low-income working families. The EHS program will enhance access to high-quality child care, support the development of families with infants and toddlers through strong relationship-based experiences, and prepare children for a successful preschool transition in both center and home base care.
If awarded, Early Head Start center-based services for 80 children will be provided at our two established Head Start Early Childhood Centers (Cardenas and Stafford) serving 777 Head Start children. Home Base services will be offered to 48 children and their families in our community to build parents’ capacity as their child’s first teacher. The opportunity to meet with parents on a weekly basis and bring families in to group socializations bi-monthly meets the needs of families who provide in-home care by a family member. Pregnant women will also benefit from this grant as DHS Head Start proposes to serve four pregnant women during each program year.
ISSUE:
Currently, the need for childcare in San Antonio for the 0 to 3 population is not being met in terms of availability of slots nor in quality programs. DHS’ current EHS-CCP program has a waitlist of over 150 unduplicated families.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this ordinance is not approved, an alternate grantee may be identified by ACF that may not serve Bexar County-area families; if this occurs, 128 inner-city children and their families will not be served and continue to be on the waitlist for service.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes acceptance of a grant award from ACF in the amount of up to $2,254,384.00, including up to $224,752.00 in start-up funds, and authorizes in-kind match of up to $563,596.00, which will be shared between DHS and EISD.
The ACF, EHS Grant will provide funding to support a two-generation strategy by allowing parents to work or remain in school while providing access to high-quality early childhood education and care for very young children for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and will fund 128 slots in underserved communities. There will be no impact to the general fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance which requests authorization of budgetary, grant, personnel complement of five (5) staff, and associated actions related to a grant award for the EHS Grant Award from ACF.