2013 Request for Applications: RFA 101Amanda Flanary & Joe Roberts

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood

Goals and Objectives

• Review “Big Picture” for Community Early Childhood Councils• Introduce the vision for CECCs• Review the 2013-14 CECC Request for

Applications• Discuss strategies for submitting a high

quality application• Review what has and has not changed• Review critical dates

OUR GOAL: To have a highly effective Community Early Childhood Council in EVERY COMMUNITY

Increasing School ReadinessIt’s a COMMUNITY issue

Where are our children?• Head Start – Serves at-risk families at

100% - 130% federal poverty level 3s and 4s (Nationally funded to reach only 40% of eligible children)

• KY State Funded Preschool – Serves at-risk 4s up to 150% poverty level and 3s with disabilities

• Data suggest that as many as 40% of children are not in Head Start, Preschool or Child Care.

Improving School Readiness is a COMMUNITY issue.

Kentucky’s Early Childhood SystemHow CECCs fit in

Kindergarten Readiness Screener

TQRIS

Parent Engagement

Professional Development

P-20 Data Collaborative

Early Learning

Standards & Assessments

Improve School

Readiness

• CECCs are the “webbing” to the plan

• CECCs pull all the state systems together

• CECCs make it happen on the local level

• CECCs inform communities and promote change

Shift in CECC StrategyLast Year’s RFA

New Priorities Last Year’s RFA

Focus on School Readiness Goal: Improve School Readiness• Improving Environments• Supporting Families• Increasing Access to Data

• Governor’s Office of Early Childhood• Early Childhood Advisory Council

Increased Collaboration• Ensure ALL children are ready for

Kindergarten

Required Members

Increase use of Data

• Child Care• Head Start• Public Pre-School

• Kindergarten Screener, child assessment, developmental screening

• Data driven decision making• Measuring results• Continuous improvement

Focused on Outcomes

2013 CECC PrioritiesResponsive, Intentional and Deliberate, Evolving

Increasing School Readiness

Increase Collaboration

Increase Use of Data

2013 Priorities

Responsive• Utilizing new information (Early Childhood Profiles)• Developing new resources (School Readiness

Definition, Parent Guides, RFA Toolkit)

• Improved Community Needs section• Development of a Strategic Plan• Focused on high-impact activities• Deliberate data and outcomes

Intentional & Deliberate

Evolving• Strengthening Collaboration (Required Members)• Building on a foundation of success

Observations from 2012-2013Refining the Process

Recommendations for CECC 2013-2014

• Required Components – Some applications were missing required components ; use the checklist• Detailed Descriptions – Be intentional and

thorough when preparing your application• Templates – Provides structure and order

to an application.• MOU Process – Process must be followed

to ensure timely funding.

Suggestion: Write questions in the margin of your copy of the RFA

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsTimeline of Critical Dates

April May JuneMarch

2013

March 1, 2013RFA AvailableResources and Checklist April 18-30, 2013

Statewide Technical Assistance (Time and location s vary)

May15, 2012Applications due

July

JulyAward notifications

March 14-15, 2013CECC Annual Institute

April 15, 2013Intent to Apply Due

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsRestrictions and Guidelines (Page 3)

• Fiscal Agent – Must be a government agency• Administrative Cost – Must NOT exceed

5% of total award• Reporting – Required to submit an end of

year report (Template Provided).• Multiple Applications– If received for the

same service area, both applications are disqualified.

Things that have NOT changed

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsRestrictions and Conditions – Mini Grants (Page 4)

Mini Grants• May not exceed 25% of the total

grant award• CECC may spend an additional 10%

above grant award IF a dollar for dollar match is found

EXAMPLE:• DeKalb County is granted $10,000• May use $2,500 in mini grants (25%)• CECC found a community leader that

donated an additional $1,000• CECC can now include an additional

$1000 from CECC funding + the $1,000 in match to spend a total of $4,5000

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsRestrictions and Conditions – MOU Process(Page 4)

Memorandum of Understanding

Step 1 MOU Mailed to Fiscal

Agent

Step 2MOU Signed by Chair or Fiscal Agent return

ORIGINAL to GOEC

Step 3GOEC signs and sends to Finance for review

Step 4Once approved by

Finance, GOEC receives Effective Date

Step 5GOEC requests CECC to submit an invoice for

FULL AMOUNT

Step 6Invoice approved by

Finance

Check Mailed to CECC

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsMandatory Requirements (Page 5)

• Annual Institute– Send 2 CECC members to the Annual Institute (NO EXCEPTIONS – plan ahead – identify alternates)• Conflict of Interest – Every member

MUST fill complete• Required Members – Representatives of

Child Care, ALL Head Start and ALL School Districts

EXAMPLE: If a CECC has a 4 county service region which has 6 school districts and is served by two Head Start Agencies, the CECC MUST have representatives from ALL school districts and ALL Head Start agencies as members of their council

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsApplication Cover-page and Project Summary

• Template found in the Appendix

• Strongly suggest using the templates

• Project Summary – Tell us what you have done, not your mission statement. BE CONCISE

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsSummary of Previous Activities (Page 10)

• Focus on what you have LEARNED not what you have done

• Include how strategies have changed to respond to needs

• Identify outcomes of previous activities

• Demonstrate progress toward goals

• Not applicable for new or re-established CECCs

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsCommunity Needs (Page 10)

• New process for FY2013-14• Data provided by Early Childhood Profile• Analyze data on the profile• Identify patterns and where data relates

to other data• Identify areas of MOST NEED• All of the data on the profile is meant to

be actionable• For Counties that did not participate in

the pilot of the screener, use the additional data to consider need

• May need additional data for more detail

• ALL PROJECTS SHOULD BE TIED TO AN IDENTIFIED NEED

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsStrategic Plan (Page 10)

• Clearly explain how you plan to address your needs addressed in the Community Needs

• Your opportunity to express your plan• Outline how your plans address needs

• Identified Need• Proposed Activity• Identify Outcome• Measure Progress• Show effect on School Readiness

• Include timelines and due dates• Include partners necessary to conduct

successful activity

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsCommunications Plan (Page 11)

• Communication and awareness is critical to a CECC’s success

• Promotes collaboration among partners• Increases parent awareness

Why a communications plan?

Strategies to complete

• Governor’s Office of Early Childhood provides messaging via e-blasts

• Tell us how you plan to disseminate these messages to your partners

• Report back to us how messages were used• Electronic, social media, printed, other• Councils that do not have an electronic

presence still must complete the plan

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsBudget and Budget Narrative (Page 11)

• Narrative should clearly describe how CECC plans to use funds to support activities identified in the strategic plan

• Budget template provided in Appendix

• Applications should be submitted using the template

• Clearly tie expenditures to activities identified in the narrative

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsRequired Components (Page 11)

Applications that do not have these components will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for consideration

• List of members (ALL MEMBERS – including all School Districts and All Head Starts

• Letters of Commitment Verifies required members

• Conflict of Interest forms Filled out by ALL members

CECCs that do not have these components will be asked to re-apply.

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsSubmission of Application (Page 12)

• Should not exceed 20 pages• Does not include cover-page or required forms or

RFA appendices• Times New Roman or Arial font (12 pt)• Double-spaced• Text in charts or graphs may be single spaced• Graphs and charts should not be used in excess• All margins 1 inch

• Applications must be post marked no later than MAY 15, 2013

• Any received after this date will be deemed non-responsive

• Mailed and hand delivered• 1 original, 4 copies and electronic copies on a CD or

a USB drive• Within 10 business days of May 15, 2013 GOEC will

provide applicants notification of receipt of application

2013 CECC Request for ApplicationsScoring and Evaluation (Appendix D)

• Applications will be reviewed by multiple independent reviewers

• Refer to Appendix D for scoring criteria

• Reviewers will utilize Appendix D to score applications

• Final score will represent a composite of independent reviews

Thank you!

Questions/Answers

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood125 Holmes St.Frankfort, KY 40601502-782-0200http://kidsnow.ky.gov