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Headstart

Section: | Agency: Agency for Workforce Innovation

The funds pay for quality child care for income-eligible families so that parents can work or prepare for work and provide additional funding for Head Start programs.

Brief description of program or funding including funding distribution method (formula or competitive grant):    

Each Head Start and Early Head Start grantee can apply for a cost-of-living increase of 4.9%. A part of each grantee’s COLA (approximately 3.1%) will be funded using a portion of the $235 million in increased funds Congress appropriated to Head Start in FY 2009.  Each grantee will be awarded this part of its COLA effective its FY 2009 refunding award date.  This part of the COLA will be awarded using a formula structure and will result in an increase in the grantee’s base funding level.  The remaining part of each grantee’s COLA (approximately 1.8%) will be awarded using the ARRA funding and will result in an increase in any grantee’s base funding level.  All Quality Improvement funds will be awarded through a separate grant number and is available only because of ARRA funds.  These funds will not result in an increase in any grantee’s base level funding. 

An additional $1.1 billion in funding not included in the chart above will be let as competitive grants for the expansion of Early Head Start.  An additional 40,000-50,000 infants, toddlers and pregnant women will be served nationwide.  Additional nationwide funding not included in the chart above will go to the expansion of Head Start (including American Indian-Native Alaskan and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start) ($219,612,000); increased funding for Training and Technical Assistance ($30,820,000); State Advisory Councils ($100,000,000); increased program support ($3,410,000); and Centers of Excellence ($2,000,000).  Funding for the State Advisory Councils and Centers of Excellence will be let competitively.

When funds are expected to be available: Fund will be available in this FFY the exact date is unknown at this time.

How long are funds available:    Funds must be obligated by September 30, 2010 and expended by September 30, 2011.  

Conditions or prerequisites for accessing funds (include matching or MOE requirements):  The COLA and Quality Improvement increases are subject to the non-federal share (match) requirements of the Head Start Act.  Waivers to the non-federal share requirements may be requested by the grantee agency upon justification to the Office of Head Start.