FY16 UPK Grant Update Number 4.docx

GRANT APPLICATION (RFR)

FY 2016 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Open Competitive Grant - FUND CODE 511 GRANT APPLICATION (RFR) #: UPK Grant 511 COMMBUYS Bid#: BD-15-1037-1CEN0-C0000-00000003584

Grant Update #4

The following answers have been amended from the Question and Answer document posted 4/28/2015.

Q18. Can Family Child Care (FCC) providers contracted with FCC systems ("System-affiliated FCC Providers") apply on their own for the FY 2016 UPK grant?

A18: The FY 2016 UPK grant does not prohibit System-affiliated FCC Providers from applying on their own for funding. However, those System-affiliated FCC Providers must ensure that they satisfy all of the UPK eligibility requirements. One of the potential hurdles is Criterion #2, which states that "All programs must have an income-eligible contract and/or voucher agreement in place and be willing to accept EEC-subsidized or low-income children." (See page 3 of the FY 2016 UPK Grant). EEC interprets this requirement to mean that there must be a direct contract or voucher agreement between the System-affiliated FCC Provider and EEC to satisfy Criterion #2. If the System-affiliated FCC Providers can demonstrate that they satisfy all seven (7) eligibility criteria, they may apply on their own for the FY 2016 UPK grant.

Amended A18: EEC has received several questions regarding A18 in the FY 2016 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Open Competitive Grant Fund Code 511 Questions and Answers document issued on April 28, 2015. EEC has addressed these questions and provides clarification to Q18 as follows:

A System-affiliated FCC Provider cannot apply individually for the FY 2016 UPK grant. The terms of the UPK grant require that "all programs must have an income-eligible contract and/or voucher agreement in place and be willing to accept EEC-subsidized or low-income children" (See Eligibility Requirements, No. 2, page 3). System-affiliated FCC Providers do not hold an income eligible contract with EEC or hold a voucher agreement with the local CCR&R and, therefore, do not meet this criteria. However, a FCC System can apply for funding on behalf of specific System-affiliated FCC Providers. If awarded FY 2016 UPK grant funding, the FCC System is expected to disburse at least 75% of the total UPK grant directly to the System-affiliated FCC Providers on behalf of whom the FCC System applied. (See Additional Stipulations, page 17.) Please note that FCC Providers who have entered directly into a voucher agreement with a CCR&R (often referred to as "Independent" FCC Providers) can apply individually for FY 2016 UPK grant funding.

Q24. Our program has been granted level 1 and for some reason the previous director skipped over applying for level 2 and applied for level 3. Will this exclude our program from being eligible to apply for the grant?

A24: The answer depends on whether EEC's Program Quality Specialist approved enough of the documentation from the self-assessed Level 3 online application to verify that you are at Level 2 in QRIS. If so, then you may apply for the FY 2016 UPK grant as demonstrated in the screenshot below from the QRIS Application Summary Profile. If not, you would not satisfy the minimum standard of having a Level 2 QRIS rating AND final submitted, self-assessed Level 3 status.

Amended A24: EEC has received several questions regarding A24 in the FY 2016 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Open Competitive Grant Fund Code 511 Questions and Answers document issued on April 28, 2015. EEC has addressed these questions and provides clarification to Q24 as follows:

The answer depends on whether EEC's Program Quality Specialist approved enough of the documentation from the self-assessed Level 3 online application to verify that you are at Level 2 in QRIS. If so, then you may apply for the FY 2016 UPK grant as demonstrated in the screenshot above from the QRIS Application Summary Profile. If not, you would not satisfy the minimum standard of having a Level 2 QRIS rating AND final submitted, self-assessed Level 3 status.

There appears to be instances where the applicant's QRIS Application Summary Profile produces the Self Assessed Level but does not produce a QRIS Rating as demonstrated in the screen shot above. Should an applicant experience this issue, please provide a note indicating the problem on the hard copy of the QRIS Application Summary Profile. EEC will verify the QRIS Rating upon intake of the UPK application.

Q5. As a Lead Agency, we have multiple sites that we would like to apply for the FY 2016 UPK grant. Do we submit one application for multiple sites.

A5: A Lead Agency with multiple program sites must submit a separate grant application for each program site. For example, if the Lead Agency has six (6) program sites that satisfy the eligibility criteria, the Lead Agency will be required to submit six (6) site-specific grant applications. Please note that the Lead Agency will need to register and create a new username and password for each site.

Amended A5:If you are a Family Child Care System, you will need to register in COMMBUYS once as the lead agency. Your FCC providers do not register in COMMBUYS. The same is true for the Online Application. The Family Child Care System registers for the Online Application and then completes the Online Application for the providers under the Lead Agency.

The following is an update for the Grant Application Submission instructions on page 22 of the Grant Application.

Amended:

· Electronically (as email attachments):

· Required Grant Forms:

· Lead Agency Indirect Cost Approval Letter (if applicable)

· Subcontractor Indirect Cost Approval Letter (if applicable)

· QRIS Summary of Application Profile (PDF document)

· EEC Professional Qualifications Registry Program Summary (PDF document) image1.emf