Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2015 ACF OHS HC 0998
Apply for HHS 2015 ACF OHS HC 0998
- The Administration for Children and Families OHS in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110 Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs 93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant 93.600 Head Start.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 2, 2015 and posted on May 19, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 2015 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,682,500.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $6,682,500.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments.
- Eligible applicants may apply on their own or as the lead applicant for a consortium. A partnership and/or consortium is a project carried out by a lead applicant and one or more other organizations that are separate legal entities. The relationship between the recipient and the collaborating organizations is considered a subaward relationship. Under a partnership and/or consortium agreement, the lead applicant must perform a substantive role in the conduct of the planned project or program activity and will not merely serve as a conduit of funds to another party or parties. The relationship between the recipient and the collaborating organizations is considered a subaward relationship. Faith based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Faith based organizations are encouraged to review the ACF Policy on Grants to Faith Based Organizations at http //www.acf.hhs.gov/acf policy on grants to faith based organizations. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) grant opportunity was a discretionary federal funding announcement from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), led by the Office of Head Start (OHS) in partnership with the Office of Child Care (OCC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), specifically HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and its Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems (DHVECS). The purpose of the award was to fund one national center that would strengthen health and wellness supports across early care and education systems by creating and sharing high-quality, research- and evidence-informed resources and delivering hands-on training and technical assistance (T/TA). The FOA was also administratively updated: the application deadline was extended to Thursday, July 23, 2015 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time) due to scheduled Grants.gov maintenance, and the announcement title was updated to "National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness."
In practical terms, the NCECHW was designed to function as a national hub for improving early childhood health practices and outcomes, with an emphasis on both what programs do (policy, procedures, training) and how programs connect children and families to care (screening, prevention, continuity of services). The center's intended audience included Head Start and Early Head Start agencies, state child care agencies, and other early care and education (ECE) settings serving diverse communities across regions, states, tribes, and U.S. territories. The work was expected to cover the full early childhood span from birth to age five, and explicitly included services relevant to pregnant women as part of supporting healthy beginnings and school readiness.
The scope emphasized several interconnected outcomes. First, the center was expected to improve health and safety in ECE environments, which typically involves guidance and support on safe facilities and practices, health promotion, and effective implementation of standards in real-world program settings. Second, it was expected to promote positive child health outcomes for children participating in ECE programs by strengthening program capacity to support physical health and healthy development. Third, it aimed to increase preventive services tied to health outcomes, reflecting a focus on early identification, prevention, and routine wellness practices. Fourth, the FOA stressed promoting access to continuous and accessible health services for children and families, pointing to the importance of linkages between ECE providers and the broader health system so families can obtain consistent care rather than one-time referrals. Fifth, the NCECHW was charged with promoting mental wellness and resiliency not only for children and families (including pregnant women), but also for staff, recognizing that workforce well-being and mental health supports are central to stable, nurturing learning environments. Finally, it sought to strengthen networks and coordination between ECE programs and child health professionals, reinforcing collaboration across sectors rather than operating in silos.
A key expectation was that the NCECHW would not start from scratch, but would maximize the use of previously developed, web-based materials and resources that align with OHS, OCC, and HRSA/MCHB national priorities. In other words, the center was meant to curate, adapt, and scale proven tools and guidance, ensuring materials were accessible and consistent with federal priorities while still being usable by frontline programs. The FOA also highlighted that the center would need to work collaboratively with other OHS and OCC National Training and Technical Assistance Centers as well as ACF regional offices, indicating the awardee would be part of a larger federal technical assistance ecosystem and would need strong coordination, communication, and partnership practices.
Funding was structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial federal involvement in the project through collaboration, guidance, and shared oversight, rather than a more hands-off grant model. The announcement estimated total funding at $6,682,500, with an award floor and ceiling both listed at $6,682,500, signaling that the intent was to make a single fixed-size award (and the FOA listed one expected award). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The funding opportunity number was HHS-2015-ACF-OHS-HC-0998, and it was associated with CFDA numbers 93.110 (Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs), 93.575 (Child Care and Development Block Grant), and 93.600 (Head Start), reflecting the cross-agency, cross-program nature of the work.
Eligibility was broad and included state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. Applicants could apply as a single organization or as the lead for a partnership/consortium. The FOA clarified that a consortium arrangement would operate through subawards to legally separate entities, and that the lead applicant had to play a substantive role rather than simply passing funds through to partners. Faith-based and community organizations were explicitly eligible if they met the standard requirements, but individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities were not eligible and would be disqualified from competitive review.
Timeline details included a posted date of May 19, 2015, an original closing date of July 20, 2015, and the extended closing date of July 23, 2015, with the archive date listed as August 22, 2015. Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on the due date. For technical access issues, applicants were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW)
1) What is the NCECHW grant opportunity?
The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) was a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). It was led by the Office of Head Start (OHS) in partnership with the Office of Child Care (OCC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), specifically HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and its Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems (DHVECS).
2) What was the purpose of this funding announcement?
The purpose was to fund one national center that would strengthen health and wellness supports across early care and education systems by creating and sharing high-quality, research- and evidence-informed resources and delivering hands-on training and technical assistance (T/TA).
3) How many awards were expected?
The announcement indicated one expected award, with funding structured as a single fixed-size award.
4) What type of award was this?
Funding was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning substantial federal involvement through collaboration, guidance, and shared oversight.
5) What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding was $6,682,500.
6) What were the award floor and ceiling amounts?
Both the award floor and award ceiling were listed as $6,682,500, signaling the intent to make one award at a fixed amount.
7) Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
8) What was the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number was HHS-2015-ACF-OHS-HC-0998.
9) Which CFDA numbers were associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity was associated with CFDA numbers 93.110 (Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs), 93.575 (Child Care and Development Block Grant), and 93.600 (Head Start).
10) Who was the intended audience for the center's work?
The intended audience included Head Start and Early Head Start agencies, state child care agencies, and other early care and education (ECE) settings serving diverse communities across regions, states, tribes, and U.S. territories.
11) What age range was the work expected to cover?
The work was expected to cover the full early childhood span from birth to age five.
12) Did the scope include services relevant to pregnant women?
Yes. The scope explicitly included services relevant to pregnant women as part of supporting healthy beginnings and school readiness.
13) What kinds of activities was the national center expected to perform?
The center was expected to create and share high-quality resources that are research- and evidence-informed and to deliver hands-on training and technical assistance (T/TA) to strengthen health and wellness supports across early care and education systems.
14) What practical role was NCECHW intended to play in the field?
NCECHW was designed to function as a national hub for improving early childhood health practices and outcomes, emphasizing both program practices (policy, procedures, training) and how programs connect children and families to care (screening, prevention, continuity of services).
15) What outcomes related to health and safety in ECE settings were emphasized?
The scope emphasized improving health and safety in early care and education environments, including guidance and support on safe facilities and practices, health promotion, and effective implementation of standards in real-world settings.
16) How did the opportunity address child health outcomes?
It emphasized promoting positive child health outcomes by strengthening program capacity to support physical health and healthy development for children participating in ECE programs.
17) Did the scope emphasize preventive services?
Yes. It aimed to increase preventive services tied to health outcomes, with a focus on early identification, prevention, and routine wellness practices.
18) What did the FOA say about access to continuous health services?
The FOA stressed promoting access to continuous and accessible health services for children and families, emphasizing linkages between ECE providers and the broader health system so families can obtain consistent care rather than one-time referrals.
19) Was mental health included in the NCECHW scope?
Yes. The center was charged with promoting mental wellness and resiliency for children and families (including pregnant women) and also for staff.
20) Why was staff well-being mentioned as part of the scope?
The FOA recognized that workforce well-being and mental health supports are central to stable, nurturing learning environments.
21) Did the opportunity emphasize collaboration with health professionals?
Yes. It sought to strengthen networks and coordination between ECE programs and child health professionals, reinforcing cross-sector collaboration.
22) Was the awardee expected to develop all-new resources from scratch?
No. A key expectation was to maximize the use of previously developed, web-based materials and resources that align with OHS, OCC, and HRSA/MCHB national priorities, including curating, adapting, and scaling proven tools and guidance.
23) Were there expectations to coordinate with other federal T/TA centers?
Yes. The FOA highlighted collaboration with other OHS and OCC National Training and Technical Assistance Centers and with ACF regional offices as part of a larger federal technical assistance ecosystem.
24) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility included state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
25) Could applicants apply as a partnership or consortium?
Yes. Applicants could apply as a single organization or as the lead for a partnership/consortium.
26) How was a consortium arrangement described?
The FOA stated that a consortium would operate through subawards to legally separate entities, and that the lead applicant must play a substantive role rather than simply passing funds through to partners.
27) Were faith-based and community organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations were explicitly eligible if they met standard requirements.
28) Who was not eligible to apply?
Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities were not eligible and would be disqualified from competitive review.
29) When was the opportunity posted?
The posted date was May 19, 2015.
30) What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date was July 20, 2015.
31) What was the extended application deadline and why was it extended?
The deadline was extended to Thursday, July 23, 2015 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time) due to scheduled Grants.gov maintenance.
32) Was the announcement title updated?
Yes. The announcement title was updated to "National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness."
33) What was the archive date listed for the opportunity?
The archive date was August 22, 2015.
34) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
35) What time zone and time applied to the submission deadline?
Applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
36) Where could applicants get help with technical access issues?
Applicants with technical access issues were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
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