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The Department of Health and Human Services fully supports the EZ/EC project localities in their efforts to create long-term renewal. There is no doubt that healthy neighborhoods with strong institutions are vitally important for children and families. Children thrive in vibrant environments where they are nurtured and cherished. Families are bolstered by the social bonds that are a key component of supportive neighborhoods. This department is eager to work with community-based groups to help strengthen neighborhood institutions and enhance services for children and families.
HHS has a network of talented staff in our ten Regional Offices and the Washington-based Office of Community Services ready to work with any locality that is implementing an EZ/EC project or planning more general community building and community renewal activities. The Department administers technical assistance, competitive discretionary grant funding and other resources to help communities achieve their long-term goals. The following paragraphs provide more information about key parts of the Department and our staff network.
HHS is the federal government's principal agency for protecting and promoting the health and welfare of all Americans. The Department's programs support a range of services for helping children thrive, building strong families and creating nurturing and hopeful communities. Some of our areas of focus at the community-level include:
Much of our work is in partnership with State government agencies that administer HHS block grants and entitlement programs. Often, our State level partners use HHS funding to support sub-grants to city and county governments and private organizations that provide human development services and health programs for neighborhood residents.
Several of the Department's component agencies and offices also work directly with local-level projects. Many award significant amounts of funding to community-based not-for-profit organizations including ones affiliated with faith based groups.
Finally, the Department also supports a significant variety of resource centers, information clearinghouses and other organizations that provide individualized technical assistance to community-based organizations and service providers. Many of these resources are available to assist community-based organizations involved in the EZ/EC renewal projects and similar local-level community revitalization initiatives.
Click here to view more details about the HHS offices and agencies that provide technical assistance grant funding, and other resources for enhancing community-level projects.
This Department is a rich resource for community-based organizations. However, it is a large and complicated organization. Even people who are expert at maneuvering through federal government information may be challenged to identify precisely which of the Department's vast resources are truly suited to their community's particular needs.
Therefore, in order to be most responsive to local-level leaders and staff of community-based organizations, HHS has established a network of key staff who are available to ensure local elected officials, community leaders and EZ/EC project staff have quick access to the HHS resources they need. The Department's Regional Directors have a key role in advancing the Department's support for community revitalization and renewal projects. They work closely with the Office of Community Services staff in the Regional and Headquarters Offices to assist with issues such as:
Click here to see a list of the ten HHS Regional Offices including the names and contact information for the Regional Directors and the Office of Community Services Regional staff.
Over the past several years, HHS Offices and agencies, in coordination with the Regional Directors and Office of Community Services staff, have implemented a number of special projects and significant technical assistance efforts focused on EZ/EC project localities. The following is a representative list of these projects. Unfortunately, several of them are no longer active. Nevertheless, the list does serve to describe the types of technical assistance initiatives HHS offices may implement in the future.
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood in Communities
Pathways to the Future: HHS EZ/EC Videoconference on Youth Development
HHS EZ/EC Child Care Roundtable
Health/Economic Development Collaborative Projects
Community Team Training Institute
Community Solutions for Rural Health
When we develop all our technical assistance projects, we carefully the needs of EZ/EC projects and lead organizations of similar initiatives. If you have suggestions about technical assistance projects that would be most helpful for your locality, please contact James Gatz in the Office of Community Services. We welcome your ideas.
EZ/EC Home | EZ/EC Information | HHS Support | EZ/EC Grants | Information for Round 3 EZ and RC Applicants
If you have questions or comments, please e-mail James Gatz of the Office of Community Services.
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This document was last modified 6/13/2001 1:25 EST
