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Index: zGrants and Funding Opportunities,
FY 2004 Grantees
Grant
and Funding Awards: Early Learning Opportunities Act Discretionary
Grant Program
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Allowable Early Learning Activities:
(a) Enhancing early childhood literacy AND two or more of
the following allowable activities:
(b) Helping parents, caregivers, child care providers, and
educators increase their capacity to facilitate the development
of cognitive, language comprehension, expressive language,
social emotional, and motor skills, and promote learning readiness;
(c) Promoting effective parenting;
(d) Developing linkages among early learning programs within
a community and between early learning programs and health
care services for young children;
(e) Increasing access to early learning opportunities for
young children with special needs including developmental
delays, by facilitating coordination with other programs serving
such young children;
(f) Increasing access to existing early learning programs
by expanding the days or times that the young children are
served, by expanding the number of young children served,
or by improving the affordability of the programs for low-income
families;
(g) improving the quality of early learning programs through
professional development and training activities, increased
compensation, and recruitment and retention incentives, for
early learning providers;
(h) Removing ancillary barriers to early learning, including
difficulties and absence of programs during nontraditional
work times.
NOTE: ELOA funds may NOT be used for construction purposes
or for the purchase of real property.
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The Early Learning Opportunities Act (ELOA) authorizes discretionary
grant funding for programs that are likely to produce sustained
gains in early learning for young children. In Fiscal Year (FY)
2004, the Child Care Bureau provided $32 million in competitive
awards to 40 Local Councils in 30 States. Individual grants range
from $268,368 to $1,000,000 for a 17-month project period (September
30, 2004 to February 28, 2006). To support the school readiness
goals of Good Start, Grow Smart—the President’s early
learning initiative—ACF modified the program to require
that all ELOA projects include activities to enhance early childhood
literacy.
ELOA funds are awarded to Local Councils that are designated as
such by an appropriate entity of local government for the purposes
of applying for an ELOA grant. Local Councils must be composed of:
a) representatives of local agencies that will be directly affected
by early learning programs assisted under the ELOA; b) parents;
c) other individuals concerned with early learning issues in the
locality, such as representatives of entities providing elementary
education, child care resource and referral services, early learning
opportunities, child care, and health services; and d) other key
community leaders. Local Councils may be formed for the purpose
of applying for an ELOA grant. Local Councils that were formed prior
to the date of enactment of the ELOA and that meet the membership
requirements will also be considered eligible. Local Councils are
encouraged to include faith-based organizations in their membership
provided all the eligibility criteria are met.
Local Councils may use ELOA funds to pay for developing, operating,
or enhancing voluntary early learning programs that meet ELOA objectives.
The President has identified the enhancement of early childhood
literacy as a priority for his administration. Therefore in FY 2004,
only those Local Councils that include activities for "Enhancing
Early Childhood Literacy" and two or more of the other allowable
activities were funded.
Local Councils are required to submit the results of a current
needs and resources assessment, documenting the needs of the young
children and families in their community, as well as a local implementation
plan that addresses the most significant needs. The plan must include
outcome measures for each proposed activity and methods for evaluation.
The extent to which the project will form collaborations among local
early learning providers, community social service and health agencies,
resource and referral services, parents and caregivers, and elementary
education providers (including faith-based organizations) to maximize
resources and concentrate efforts on areas of greatest need must
also be described.
A Local Council may enter into an agreement with an entity (including
a faith-based organization) that has a demonstrated capacity for
administering grants that is affected by, or concerned with, early
learning issues, including the State, to serve as fiscal agent for
the administration of grant funds received by the Local Council
under ELOA. However, the Local Council, if selected to receive a
grant, must be responsible for ensuring compliance with the activities
and terms of the grant. Local Councils (and their Fiscal Agents)
must be able to demonstrate organizational and fiscal capabilities
to manage the grant.
For more information contact Carol Gage, 202-690-6243.
Updated October 5, 2004
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