The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition, is issuing a Notice of Intent (NOI) for a federal grant application to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under funding opportunity 26-057 for the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems SEED Project, with qualifications from alternative bidders due July 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

The Department intends to partner with Criterion Child Enrichment to implement an evidence-based early childhood model focused on establishing or expanding Centralized Intake and Referral Systems (CIRS) and implementing community-wide early childhood models to improve well-child visits and developmental screening in Hampden County, which has the highest rates of infant mortality in Massachusetts. The specific contracted service involves hiring an Outreach Specialist through Criterion Child Enrichment to expand its Welcome Family program and build connections between the CIRS and the evidence-based model. Criterion Child Enrichment has been selected based on demonstrated qualifications including operation of the only evidence-based universal postpartum home-visiting program in Hampden County and an existing evidence-based model serving as an entry point into a system of care for families with newborns.

Parties with equal qualifications to Criterion Child Enrichment who wish to be considered for partnership must submit written qualifications to Claudia Catalano at Claudia.Catalano@mass.gov by the July 6 deadline. The grant award is up to $875,000 over five years, with HRSA funding eight grants nationally. The project includes state early childhood systems leadership and planning for long-term sustainability, with place of performance in Hampden County.

NOI_W27009

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