Foa_Content_of_HHS-2022-ACF-OCC-TA-0002 Publication Version PDF.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Child Care

National Early Care and Education Workforce Center

HHS-2022-ACF-OCC-TA-0002

Application Due Date: 11/07/2022

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Funding Opportunity Title:

National Early Care and Education Workforce Center Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACF-OCC-TA-0002

Primary CFDA Number:

93.575,93.434, 93.600 Due Date for Applications:

11/07/2022 Executive Summary Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications for a National Early Care and Education Workforce Center (the Center). The purpose of the funding opportunity is to fund a research and technical assistance center that will work to increase recruitment and retainment of a diverse, qualified, and effective workforce across all Early Care and Education (ECE) settings and programs through the provision of technical assistance (TA) at state and local levels and a program of rigorous research that builds the knowledge base and informs TA efforts. The Center will specifically focus on establishing and enhancing career advancement systems and strategies for ECE professionals to pursue credentials and degrees and identifying and encouraging sustainable strategies to increase compensation, provide adequate compensation, and improve workplace policies (wages, benefits, health, and well-being). While this funding opportunity is being released through the Office of Child Care (OCC), this opportunity is a collaborative effort between several offices (OCC, Office of Head Start (OHS), Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), and ACF’s Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE)).

SAM.gov System Alert | Entity Validation Delays:

Due to high demand, SAM.gov is experiencing a considerable delay in processing entity legal business name and address validation tickets. As needed, please start the process early to avoid interruptions in application submissions. You can find SAM resources related to this process here -https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id= 7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1.

Grants.gov Downtime | Grants.gov Going Offline:

The Grants.gov system is being migrated to the cloud and will be unavailable to users for an https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1 extended period to allow for a successful transition. The Grants.gov Production System will be offline during the following period:

Production System will go Offline Friday September 23, 2022 at 12:01 AM ET.

Production System will go Online Thursday September 29, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET.

If you are interested in this funding opportunity, you are strongly encouraged to download it and all associated attachments from Grants.gov as soon as possible so that they will be available to you during this period. For more information on what to expect, please refer to the following URL at https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/ for details.

I. Program Description Statutory Authority The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, 42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.; the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. 9801 et seq.; the Every Student Succeeds Act, 42 U.S.C. 9831 note; and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103)

Description

A. BACKGROUND

Early Care and Education (ECE) programs are programs that care for and educate young children from birth to age 5 across a variety of settings, including community-based centers, family child care, school-based centers, and other settings, and utilize a variety of funding sources including Head Start, the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), state-funded preschool, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), private pay, and other sources. The success of these programs depends on their ability to recruit and retain qualified and competent ECE professionals who have diverse backgrounds and reflect the array of cultures and languages of children and families in the communities where programs and providers are located. One of the great strengths of the current ECE workforce is its diversity. This workforce is overwhelmingly women with 40 percent being women of color and 27 percent speaking a language other than English at home.1 These professionals work in a variety of different settings and programs, including privately and publicly funded child care, preschools, community-based centers, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, family child care, and school-based settings. Public funding for these ECE programs comes from a variety of sources, including Head Start grants, CCDF, Preschool Development Grants Birth to Five (PDG-B5), IDEA, and state- and local-funded preschool; each have their own set of standards and requirements. Within these settings, ECE professionals care for, educate, and support the growth and healthy development of children from a wide age range (from birth through kindergarten entry), with widely varying developmental needs (including children with developmental delays or disabilities), and from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Their work fills a critically important societal role—providing young children with high-quality, relationship-based ECE that has the potential to improve their long-term outcomes, as well as the social and economic well-being of families, and allowing families to work.2 However, the ECE sector is currently facing a workforce crisis, with programs around the country unable to find qualified staff to fully open and/or retain the staff they have to ensure consistent, high-quality care and education.

https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/ https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/

Challenges with the recruitment and retention of qualified staff in ECE are not new. Historically, turnover rates averaged 30 percent annually (ranging from 10-45 percent depending on the setting) compared to 15 percent for elementary school teachers.3 The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, with about 10 percent of the workforce having left the field entirely and the majority of Program Directors reporting it is more difficult to recruit and retain staff now than before the pandemic.4 These losses have profound impacts on ECE programs, staff, and the children and families served.5 ECE programs struggle to keep their doors open, to create high-quality learning environments, and to develop the strong teacher-child relationships necessary to support young children’s development. As a result, families struggle to find high-quality care and early education.

Research is limited on the factors contributing to ECE workforce turnover, but many experts point to historically low, stagnant wages and poor benefits for ECE professionals as a key culprit. In 2019, ECE workers were paid an average wage of only $11.65 per hour, which is about one-third the average wages for kindergarten or elementary school teachers.6 As a result, the ECE workforce as a whole experiences significantly higher rates of economic insecurity, poverty, and stress compared to their peers in similar fields.7 Additionally, there are considerable compensation disparities within the ECE workforce, depending on the setting, ages of children served, and worker’s race, even when controlling for differences in qualifications. These disparities are particularly pronounced for Black ECE workers who receive an average hourly wage that is 78 cents less than their White colleagues.8

At the same time, there have been numerous calls for increased qualifications and improved career pathways for ECE professionals.9 Indeed, credentials and degrees help ensure ECE professionals have the foundational skills and competencies necessary to provide high-quality care and education and promote young children’s development, and career pathways are necessary to prepare new entrants to the ECE field and promote ongoing development of the workforce. Yet there remains great variability in the qualifications of ECE professionals. A little less than half (48 percent across all types of settings) have demonstrated the critical competencies relevant to ECE by achieving a Child Development Associates (CDA) or similar state credential.10 Likewise, 36 percent of ECE professionals in center-based settings hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and nearly half (47 percent) hold no degree at all. Among professionals in home-based settings, only 16 percent hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, while 68 percent hold no degree at all.11 Similar to disparities related to ECE workers’ compensation, the variability in qualifications within the ECE workforce has been found to relate to the setting, ages of children served, and worker’s race. Thus, efforts to improve qualifications and develop career pathways for the workforce as a whole must account for this variation or risk losing existing staff and exacerbating the workforce crisis.

Efforts to improve the qualifications of the ECE workforce and build career pathways have been stymied by a number of factors. Across the ECE system, barriers in accessing or succeeding in degree or credentialing programs abound. Research and experts have cited numerous challenges, including the high cost of higher education12 and limited means for paying off the resulting debt when staff investments of time, effort, and money to achieve higher credentials are not met with commensurate increases in pay and benefits. ECE professionals are also challenged by a lack of clarity about which credentialing programs or degrees are high-quality and will adequately prepare them to work with young children; lack of time to participate in required coursework, as many ECE professionals already hold a full-time job in the field; lack of individualized supports (e.g., supports for challenging course material; supports for professionals that have a disability;

supports for remedial learning; technology supports); and lack of cultural and linguistic diversity in coursework leaving ECE educators unprepared to support culturally and linguistic diverse learners. Additionally, the opportunity for degree attainment is not equitably available to all ECE professionals as these barriers tend to be greater and more numerous for ECE professionals with racially, linguistically, and/or economically diverse backgrounds. Across all professions, there are substantial gaps in college attendance and degree completion for people of color, women, and those for whom English is not a first language,13 and ECE is no exception.

Credentialing and degree programs hold promise for supporting the ECE workforce in meeting the high demands of the critically important job of caring for and educating young children, but the low compensation offered in return fails to reflect either the demands or importance of the work. Even when ECE educators invest in improving their qualifications, those improvements are not necessarily met with commensurate improvements in compensation. For example, while Head Start regulations have increased teachers’ required qualifications over time (i.e., infant/toddler teachers must have a minimum of a CDA credential; preschool teachers must have at least an associate's degree and over 50 percent nationally must have a baccalaureate), meeting these requirements has not necessarily resulted in commensurately higher salaries. Head Start funding has not kept pace with the need to increase compensation for ECE educators and, in child care, constraints in the market limit the ability to implement salary increases. High-quality ECE is labor intensive, and costs are relatively high, in particular for infants and toddlers, and often exceed what many families in the United States can afford. Therefore, budget margins are slim for ECE businesses and leave little room to increase salaries for staff, even as the demands and credentials increase. Likewise, Head Start programs have struggled to continue to serve children and families with comprehensive services while also retaining qualified staff as funding levels fail to keep pace with operating costs and more families need services. This in part leads to staff leaving for higher-paying jobs and reductions in the quality, supply, and reliability of the care and education of young children.

A comprehensive approach to supporting ECE professionals requires establishing or enhancing career pathways to train, recruit, and retain qualified staff with attention to compensation and the great diversity of the workforce. This strategy is necessary to address the current crisis, but also the long-term challenges underpinned by chronically low wages that existed well before the COVID-19 public health emergency. In recent years, a number of innovative approaches have been developed and employed to attempt to address these issues and challenges to support career advancement and improved compensation for ECE professionals, such as apprenticeship programs, pay parity policies/initiatives, improving benefits through coordinating community-based programs, mentoring programs, and other strategies. There is a need to better understand these various strategies and their effectiveness and to bring to scale the strategies and systems that support career advancement and increased compensation for ECE professionals.

B. GOALS AND PRIORITIES

The Center will aim to improve the recruitment and retention of the ECE workforce by executing a program of rigorous research that builds the knowledge base and disseminates research to inform solutions, and by providing TA to support the implementation of research-based and sustainable policies and practices at state and local levels. In particular, the Center will aim to improve ECE workforce recruitment and retention through a focus on career advancement and improved compensation for ECE teachers, assistant teachers, aides, and other caregivers providing direct care and education in classrooms and family child care homes for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. Although challenges with compensation and career pathways exist for professionals and staff in a wide range of roles in ECE settings (e.g., directors, managers, coordinators, home visitors, coaches, support staff, staff serving school-aged children, etc.), the focus of this NOFO is primarily on the ECE workforce, professionals, and staff that provide direct care and education to young children, birth to age 5, in classrooms or family child care homes across Head Start, CCDF, state-funded preschool, IDEA, and other settings. This includes teachers, family child care providers, assistant teachers, and aides.

The Center’s research and TA activities will work together to inform each other, build on and complement existing TA and research efforts, and support states and local communities (including Head Start grant recipients) in identifying and implementing sustainable systems, strategies, and policies that support the goals of (1) improving career advancement pathways for ECE professionals to pursue credentials and degrees, and building a pipeline for development of the ECE workforce as a whole; and (2) increasing compensation and improving workplace supports (e.g., benefits, health, well-being) in alignment with career advancement. Through the Center’s work to support states and local communities to address ECE career advancement and address compensation, the Center will also aim to influence (a) the quality of ECE programs across programs and settings by ensuring that ECE professionals have the necessary skills and competencies to create engaging, developmentally appropriate environments and implement high-quality practices; (b) strategies and systems that build on and maintain the rich diversity of the ECE workforce; (c) equitable access for all young children and families to have qualified, competent ECE professionals across ECE settings and programs; and (d) advancing the role of ECE educator voice (including family child care providers) in research and policy.

The following reflects ACF’s priorities that the Center is expected to address through its research and/or TA efforts:

Building a sustainable pipeline and supporting career advancement for the ECE workforce across all settings, including:

o Participating in ECE credentialing and/or degree programs with consideration for the diversity of the workforce and variation in existing credential/degree status and related requirements across settings;

o Removing barriers to career advancement and credential/degree attainment through financial, academic, and workplace supports and other flexibilities for ECE professionals seeking credentials and degrees;

o Improving the quality, alignment, and articulation of professional development, training, and post-secondary coursework (i.e., including credentialing and degree programs in 2- and 4-year Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs)) to build the competencies and meet the needs of ECE professionals; and o Promoting end-user design and the role of ECE educators voice in building and the continuous quality improvement of career pathways and career advancement systems, strategies, and policies.

Promoting sustainable increases in compensation (e.g., pay and benefits) for the ECE workforce across all settings, including:

o Promoting compensation increases that are commensurate with advances in credentialing or degrees;

o Ensuring compensation and workforce policies (e.g., wage ladders, benefits, health, well-being) are comparable across ECE settings and to professionals with the same credentials and experience working in elementary grades; and o Promoting the role of ECE educators in formulating compensation and workforce policies, building systems, and implementing strategies.

Promoting equity in career advancement and compensation systems, strategies, and policies, including:

o Building on and maintaining the rich racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of the ECE workforce; reflecting the diversity of the children and families they serve; and incorporating diverse ECE educator voices into the policy making and research process;

o Reducing existing racial, linguistic, and cultural disparities, as well as disparities among staff with similar credentials and experience serving children of different ages or in different settings; and o Ensuring young children and their families served across settings have equitable access to qualified, competent ECE professionals.

The Center will prioritize addressing these issues for ECE programs or state systems supported by ACF funding, including Head Start, CCDF, and PDG-B5. However, programs and settings within the ECE system supported by other funding streams (e.g., state-funded preschool, IDEA) may also benefit from the Center’s work due to the integrated nature of the ECE system.

C. OUTCOMES AND ACTIVITIES

In order to meet the intended purpose and address the goals and priorities articulated in Section I.

Program Description, B. Goals and Priorities, the Center will engage in the following three key activity areas: (1) leadership, coordination, and partnership (~5-10 percent of the Center’s overall effort); (2) TA (~50-55 percent of the Center’s overall effort); and (3) research and knowledge development (~30-35 percent of the Center’s overall effort). Additionally, the Center will engage in supplemental activities (~5-10 percent of the Center’s overall effort) described under E.

Additional Responsibilities. The proportion of effort dedicated to each activity area may vary slightly by year. For example, in year 1, the Center may require slightly more than 5-10 percent effort for Leadership, Coordination, and Partnership and slightly less than 50-55 percent for TA and/or 30-35 percent for Research/Knowledge Development.

(1) While the proportion may vary slightly over the 5 years of the cooperative agreement, the Center is encouraged to dedicate approximately 5-10 percent of the Center’s overall effort to activities in the area of Leadership, Coordination, and Partnership. These activities shall serve to establish the Center as a leader in the field on ECE workforce career advancement and compensation and engage key stakeholders, experts, and organizations to inform, coordinate, and disseminate the Center’s work. Specifically, the leadership, coordination, and partnership activities should increase the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the Center’s work; ensure the Center’s contributions are value added to ongoing related work by other entities; and develop a network of partners that can help sustain the Center’s work when federal funding ends. These activities shall include:

Developing partnerships to ensure alignment of efforts and collaboration with ACF staff and leadership, as well as other federally funded ECE TA Centers that include a focus on the workforce and assess, coordinate, and disseminate relevant products developed and TA provided across federally funded Centers to most effectively support the ECE workforce and the children and families in their care.

Developing partnerships with professional associations and other entities that work with IHEs and philanthropic, research, and other ECE organizations focused on strengthening career pathways and workforce compensation, such as 2- and 4-year IHEs, to leverage existing and future related work and ensure the Center’s work is value added and disseminated across the ECE system.

Establishing a Technical Work Group (TWG), made up of experts and stakeholders from outside of the recipient’s funded institution(s), with technical assistance, research, programmatic, policy, and lived-experience expertise (e.g., representatives from ECE providers and/or families) in ACF’s priority areas (see Section I. Program Description, B.

Goals and Priorities). This TWG will provide input and feedback to inform priorities and refine plans for Center activities as well as assist with dissemination of the Center’s work. The TWG will be regarded as a resource for the Center, supporting the Center in defining the state of the field, identifying forward-looking questions, issues, concerns, and gaps in the knowledge base, TA, and research. Efforts should be made in selecting this group to ensure representation from a broad range of organizations and perspectives (such as including academic, research, policy, professional, 2- and 4-year IHEs, and other associations of practitioners, TA, or program organizations). The Center should convene and engage this group purposefully to help realize ACF’s goals for the Center and to expand the reach of the Center’s activities. To enable deeper discussions on selected topics and connections among experts and stakeholders, it is expected that the entire TWG will meet at least once each year and subgroups of the TWG may meet more frequently.

Supporting the development of ECE leaders by creating and/or funding a fellowship program to support emerging ECE policy leaders and emerging ECE research scholars.

The emerging ECE policy leaders and emerging ECE research scholars fellowship program should focus on a diverse cadre of ECE leaders/scholars who represent various culture and language backgrounds, through fellowships with the Center, IHEs, research institutions, state or federal government, ECE professional organizations, or policy organizations. The Center is encouraged to fund approximately two emerging ECE policy leaders each year who are early career ECE professionals with expertise (including expertise through lived experience) and interest in supporting and strengthening the ECE workforce. Emerging policy leaders may come from research, policy, TA, program administration, or early educator training programs and will already be working in, or will be placed in, an organization that helps them gain the experience and expertise to further their career. Emerging policy leaders will participate in leadership building activities facilitated by the Center and with Center staff will develop and implement an individualized leadership development plan. Additionally, as part of the Center’s efforts to build research capacity in the field (described under activity (3)), the Center is expected to create and/or fund a fellowship program to support the development of emerging ECE research scholars (i.e., doctoral candidates, postdoctoral fellows, graduate research assistants). The emerging ECE research scholars fellowship program should aim to expand the pool of researchers with the knowledge and capacity to investigate applied, relevant questions related to the career advancement and compensation of the ECE workforce by providing training, mentoring, and applied research opportunities within and outside the Center’s institution(s). The Center is encouraged to fund approximately two emerging ECE research scholars each year.

Ensuring that the Center’s research and TA activities are coordinated. Research conducted by the Center should inform TA, and lessons learned from TA should inform the research activities. The Center’s Research to Practice Lead (see Section I. Program Description, D. Structure) will be responsible for ensuring that the Center’s research and analyses are translated into actionable information that can be used by the Center’s TA staff and other partners and stakeholders to inform and improve practice in program supported by ACF funding, including through support and collaboration among the Center’s research and TA staff.

(2) While the proportion may vary slightly over the 5 years of the cooperative agreement, the Center is encouraged to dedicate approximately 50-55 percent of the Center’s overall effort to activities in the area of TA. The primary targets for the Center’s TA are (a) state ECE personnel and teams, including representatives from state agencies, administering federally and state-funded ECE programs and (b) local ECE program leaders, staff, and teams, including representatives from across ECE mixed delivery (including programs supported by ACF funding and in various settings such as Head Start; family child care; and community-, center- and school-based). The TA activities shall be centered on a strategy that accounts for the unique needs of the ECE workforce; shall seek to retain a diverse ECE sector; and shall aim to improve the quality, capacity, and sustainability of systems, strategies, and policies implemented by states and local programs to promote career advancement and improve compensation of ECE professionals across ECE programs and systems by:

Providing universal TA to the ECE field through promoting and frequently updating a central ECE Workforce Hub; hosting timely and relevant webinars, national and regional conferences or meetings (in coordination with other TA Centers, as applicable); and developing, disseminating, and supporting the use of new products and resources responsive to the needs of the field. This shall include:

o Conducting a landscape analysis of existing tools, resources, partners, and TA focused on supporting career advancement and compensation of the ECE workforce to identify existing gaps in capacity and resources and the needs of states and local programs (including Head Start grant recipients) and ECE educators. The analysis (as well as the research activities described below under

(3) and with input from the Integrated Project Team and TWG) shall inform the development of the Center’s Universal TA Plan, to be updated annually.

o Creating a central, online, public-facing, and free ECE Workforce Hub that compiles and shares tools, resources, and TA available to support career advancement and compensation of the ECE workforce. The Hub must build on or link to other similar efforts including those funded by ACF and including the resources compiled on the ECD Workforce Rapid Response Center. To ensure there is not duplication with other ACF-funded websites, the Hub needs to leverage what is already in existence while creating a user-friendly platform for accessing tools and resources. The Hub should include materials states and local programs can use for ECE workforce recruitment campaigns to encourage new entrants to the profession.

o Developing or updating tools and resources based on the landscape analysis described above and the identified gaps and findings from the research activities (described below under (3)) that are responsive to the workforce needs of the field such as:

innovative career advancement strategies and partnerships (including apprenticeships, alternative pathways, or scholarships to attend IHE and community college programs and/or professional development);

strategies and models for developing articulation agreements or Memorandum of Understanding to support portability across IHE programs and credentials;

effective strategies and practices that promote and maintain equity and diversity in the ECE workforce; incorporate ECE educators' participation in policymaking, systems building, and strategy implementation; and reduce racial, linguistic, and economic barriers to higher education;

creating and implementing local and statewide ECE compensation initiatives aligned with career ladders;

tools and materials to support positive professional environments with constructive growth opportunities along career ladders that lead to increased compensation;

effective materials for state and local ECE workforce recruitment campaigns to encourage new entrants to the profession; and aligning ECE workforce core knowledge and competency standards that will enhance professionalism of the ECE field and support career advancement of ECE professionals across ECE programs and systems (build on existing standards such as Head Start and professional standards).

Providing and facilitating peer-to-peer targeted TA (such as through Learning Communities, Communities of Practice, Continuous Quality Improvement Practicum, or other facilitated peer learning opportunity) for both state and local audiences on challenging ECE workforce career advancement and compensation issues such as:

o How to develop partnerships with IHEs, including 4-year institutions and community colleges to strengthen capacity and effectiveness.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd/initiatives/strategy-resources-address-early-care-and-education-ece-workforce-shortage o How to implement and/or sustain innovative strategies, such as apprenticeships, scholarships, and alternative pathways, to support ECE workforce development (e.g., high school CDA programs).

o How to ensure equity and diversity of the ECE workforce across the mixed delivery system, including reducing racial, linguistic, and economic barriers in access to, and success in, higher education.

o How to improve compensation and/or sustain improvements in compensation for ECE professionals working across the mixed delivery system, especially in the context of increased qualifications.

o How to utilize multiple funding streams to improve compensation at the local program level.

o How to develop and measure progress on ECE workforce core knowledge and competencies standards and align competencies with career ladders and compensation scales.

o How to incorporate ECE educators into the policymaking, systems building, and strategy implementation process.

Applicants will propose the number, topics, and participants of Learning Communities or Communities of Practice offered each year, but final decisions will be determined in collaboration with the Federal Project Officers (FPOs) and based on the needs of and input from the field. Targeted TA opportunities must be available for teams or individuals across ECE programs and settings. At the state level, opportunities must be available for (at a minimum) the CCDF lead agency, Head Start Collaboration Office, and the agency leading the PDG-B5 grant (if applicable). At the local level, opportunities must be available for programs across the mixed delivery system and at minimum those funded by Head Start and CCDF.

Providing intensive TA to several states and local communities a year (including local communities embedded within the states receiving intensive TA) to implement effective and sustainable career advancement and compensation systems, strategies, and policies for the ECE workforce. Entities participating in the intensive TA must pull together a team that includes agencies or programs that administer key ECE programs in the state or local community. State teams must include agencies that administer ECE programs or federal grants (such as CCDF, IDEA Part B 619 and Part C, PDG-B5, state-funded preschool); Head Start Collaboration Office; state professional development or TA organizations; IHEs, including both 4- and 2-year colleges; tribal entities; and/or other partners. Local teams must include representatives of the local mixed delivery system including those who work directly with children and represent the diversity of the ECE sector (including in center-based child care, family child care, Early Head Start, Head Start, and school-based programs), IHEs, high school technical programs, career and technical education programs, credentialling programs, professional development providers that serve the local community, tribal entities, and/or other relevant partners.

o The Center will help the intensive TA state and local teams develop a comprehensive plan to implement effective and sustainable career advancement and compensation systems, strategies, and policies for the ECE workforce and identify priority areas to receive customized TA. The framework and self-assessment tool developed under Research and Knowledge Development activities will be the starting point for developing these plans.

o The Center (with input from federal staff) will develop Request for Proposals (RFP) and review process for state and local teams to apply for this intensive TA opportunity. Applicants should propose an approach for RFPs and review that will ensure state and local intensive TA teams represent the diversity of states and local communities and that the number of states and local communities participating will be balanced (e.g., each year the number of states and localities participating should be the same). Additionally, applicants should maximize the number of states and localities that participate in intensive TA over the course of the project.

o One goal of this intensive TA activity is to develop and evaluate various state and local models for effective ECE career advancement and improved compensation.

Therefore, state and local participants may be asked to participate in Center-and/or other ACF-sponsored evaluations.

***As described in Leadership, Coordination, and Partnership activities above, all TA activities must build on and complement other related ACF-funded TA. An Integrated Project Team (see Section I. Program Description, D. Structure below) made up of both Center and federal staff will meet regularly to review and refine the Center’s TA activities. A TWG (described under activity (1)) will meet annually to provide input on the Center’s TA activities.

(3) While the proportion may vary slightly over the five years of the cooperative agreement, the Center is encouraged to dedicate approximately 30-35 percent of the Center’s overall effort to activities in the area of Research and Knowledge Development. These activities shall aim to inform TA efforts (described under activity (2)), as well as state and local policy and practice, by improving ACF's understanding of the state of the ECE workforce with regard to career pathways and compensation; barriers and opportunities to career advancement and improved compensation; quality, implementation, and effectiveness of career advancement/compensation strategies and systems; and other key knowledge gaps, through:

Conducting an environmental scan and analysis to assess the state of the knowledge base and practices in the field; identify existing strategies and systems to support career advancement and improve compensation; and build understanding of the strengths, gaps, and opportunities for new research and knowledge development. The scan should include stakeholder engagement to understand the knowledge, perspectives, and research/information needs of states, local programs, provider organizations, IHEs, and other groups. The Center’s program of research should build on this effort and the existing literature, research efforts, and knowledge from the field.

Developing a framework (or frameworks) based on lessons from the environmental scan/analysis, existing literature, and knowledge from the field that articulates the components of effective ECE career advancement and compensation systems, strategies, and policies that strengthen the ECE workforce; and develop a self-assessment tool (or tools) for states and local communities to use to identify areas for improvement. The framework(s) and self-assessment(s) should build on similar existing and effective tools and resources utilized in the field and should be used by the Center to guide TA efforts (described under activity (2)).

Advancing research by planning, initiating, and maintaining a focused, rigorous research program that builds on the framework and existing research base to address key research questions directly relevant to the needs and interests of ACF and the ECE field, such as:

o The varied experiences, strengths, and needs of the ECE workforce regarding career advancement and compensation;

o Promising approaches to promoting career advancement and improvements in compensation; and o Barriers, implementation challenges, and other issues or factors shaping the quality, effectiveness, or equity of approaches to supporting career advancement and improved compensation.

The program of research must also include evaluating the strategies/models implemented in intensive TA efforts (described under activity (2) above) and conducting analyses of existing data sources (in particular, data archived for secondary analysis from ACF-funded research such as the National Survey of Early Care and Education). It should reflect an applied research agenda including multi-disciplinary and multi-method approaches, such as quantitative and qualitative methods, primary data collection, secondary analyses, research syntheses, pilot or feasibility studies, measurement development, program evaluations, or other approaches best suited to address the research questions and priorities described under B. Goals and Priorities earlier in this section.

All research activities must adhere to the principles of rigor, relevance, transparency, independence, and ethics outlined in the ACF Evaluation Policy. Additionally, ACF values research and evaluation activities that are grounded in an understanding of the important role that public policies, institutional practices, structural racism, and other societal norms/systemic factors play in shaping and influencing the phenomena of interest. ACF expects the Center to incorporate an equity lens in its program of research.

An Integrated Project Team (see D. Structure below) made up of both Center and federal staff will meet regularly to review and refine the Center’s research activities. A TWG (described under activity (1)) will meet annually to provide input on the Center’s research activities.

Building research capacity by developing capacity in the scientific community to conduct research that is relevant to ACF program and policy goals for the ECE workforce as well as research that is valid and culturally anchored in the experiences of a diverse ECE workforce. Specifically, the Center shall provide intellectual leadership in the national research community, establish links with the broad range of scholars external to the Centers’ institution(s), develop tools and resources, and provide consultation or professional development to support the field in conducting valid and relevant research related to career advancement and compensation of the ECE workforce.

Communicating and disseminating research by developing and maintaining an innovative communication system to share research and information with key stakeholders and the broader field, including integrating new learning from research conducted by the Center and across relevant OPRE-funded projects in the Center’s approach to TA and TA https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/acf-evaluation-policy resources. The Center will aim to increase the use of research, data, and evidence in planning, decision-making, and implementation of approaches to supporting career advancement and compensation for the ECE Workforce. The communication system will be integrated with universal TA activities (described in activity (2)) and shall target a wide audience (including researchers, federal/state policymakers, local programs, and TA providers) using a range of engaging strategies (such as accessible/plain language written, visual, or audio products; hosting events, webinars, podcasts, workshops, or symposia;

presentations or listening sessions at conferences and practice-focused gatherings;

meetings with stakeholders and community members). The communication plan should be clearly linked to the priorities identified under B. Goals and Priorities.

Note: Any written publications that describe the project or program or that result from activities supported under this cooperative agreement (e.g., brochures, websites, reports, print materials, electronic announcements, press releases, listservs, publicly available written answers, presentations, testimonies) must include the disclaimer required by the Stevens Amendment. For more information on the Stevens Amendment and the required disclaimer statement please refer to the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements webpage. Please see Section II.

Federal Award Information for information about how the Center’s resources and activities must be proportionately dedicated to reflect the eligible activities under each of the three funding streams supporting the Center.

D. STRUCTURE

The Center’s organizational structure will include the following key elements: Center Co- Directors; Center team and partners; Research-to-Practice Lead (RtP Lead); and an Integrated Project Team (IPT).

1. Center Co-Directors. The Center will be led by Co-Directors, one who primarily leads the TA activities and one who primarily leads the Research activities; together the Co- Directors will co-lead the Leadership, Coordination, and Partnership activities. The Co- Directors’ expertise, knowledge, and skills will inform all Center activities and will contribute directly to the collaborative efforts involved. Through the Co-Directors’ leadership, the Center will meet the project objectives of improving ECE career advancement and compensation systems, strategies, and policies at state and local levels for the ECE workforce. The Co-Directors will not only be responsible for the successful completion of the Center’s collaboration and partnership, TA, and research/knowledge development activities, but will also be responsible for establishing and maintaining coherence in goals and objectives across the Center’s activities and collaboration across the various structural elements and participants in the Center’s activities. The Co- Directors must be established leaders with expertise in the needs of the ECE workforce, ACF priority areas (see Section I. Program Description, B. Goals and Priorities), and ECE programs and policies (Head Start, CCDF, ECE state systems); and have the necessary training, education, degree(s), qualifications, experience, and other qualities to fulfill their roles, lead the project, and meet the goals of the Center.

For the Co-Director for Research, this must include, but is not limited to, a clear record of leadership in the academic arena related to ECE Workforce, including recognition by, membership in, and/or service in professional organizations; evidence https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements of education and training in research design, methods, and analysis appropriate to the requirements of the NOFO; a demonstrated record of conducting high-quality research related to ECE Workforce, including scholarly publications in peer-reviewed journals; a demonstrated record of conducting research to inform policy or practice related to ECE Workforce, such as through dissemination to diverse audiences and collaboration with programmatic/policy audiences; and a demonstrated record of leading diverse research activities and teams, including mentorship of graduate students. Although there is no absolute requirement that the Co-Director for Research hold a specific degree, the characteristics, training, and experience described here are typical of doctoral-level professionals.

For the Co-Director for TA, this must include, but is not limited to, a clear record of leadership in the ECE field, including recognition by, membership in, and/or service in professional organizations; expertise in ECE workforce policy and practice across settings and programs at the state and local level; a demonstrated record of providing high-quality and effective TA in ECE that is informed by research, policy, and practice; a demonstrated record of experience with leading successful TA projects that utilize implementation science, adult learning techniques, and focus on ECE workforce issues; and a demonstrated record of leading large complex projects, activities, and teams.

Any gaps in the Co-Directors’ expertise or skills should be addressed through additional Center leadership and staff, subcontracts with other institutions and organization, and/or partnerships with other scholars and professionals. The Co-Directors must commit appropriate time and effort to the Center to ensure ongoing management and oversight and high-quality results and products. The recipient should inform the FPOs regarding any significant changes in availability throughout the project period. Changing either of the Center’s Co-Directors during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

2. Center Team and Partners. The Center’s team and partners (including personnel serving as project managers, coordinators, writers, editors, data collectors, analysts, TA providers, experts to implement communities of practice and intensive TA, facilitators, programmers, technical support, logistics support, administrative staff, subcontracted support) are all critical to the success of the Center’s activities. Team members’ and partners’ expertise, training, education, degree(s), qualifications, experience, and other qualities must be aligned with and sufficient to fulfill their assigned roles, execute assigned tasks/activities, and achieve high-quality results and products. They must also have sufficient time and effort committed to the Center to fulfill their assigned roles and achieve high-quality results and products. Gaps in the Co-Directors’ expertise may be addressed by identified strengths in the Center’s teams and/or partners. Recipients are encouraged to seek out, and partner with, organizations, research institutions, and experts throughout the course of the project, given the depth and breadth of activities to be carried out. At any time during the grant project period, the management structure must ensure that all Center hiring is flexible and expeditious, and completed within 45 days of any identified staff vacancy. Changes in key center staff and partners (e.g., senior research and TA staff, project manager, task leads, or other partners) during the project period would constitute a major revision of the approved project and would require prior approval by ACF.

3. RtP Lead. A key component of the work of the Center is utilizing research and data to inform TA, policy, and practice decisions in a timely manner. The RtP Lead will be responsible for ensuring that the Center’s (and other relevant) research and analyses are translated into actionable information that can be used…