Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care FY 2008

Department of Early Education and Care

Transitional Professional Development

Grant Application

OVERVIEW, ELIGIBILITY, FUNDING, SUBMISSION AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Background: / The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) provides services for children in Massachusetts through a mixed delivery system which includes child care centers, out-of-school time programs, family child care homes, public preschool programs, private school preschool and kindergarten, and Head Start programs. EEC is responsible for licensing early education and care and out-of-school time programs throughout Massachusetts and for providing child care financial assistance to low-income families with children birth to 13 years of age. In addition EEC provides support for information and referral services, inclusive programming for children with special needs, parenting and family support, and professional development opportunities for educators in the early education and out of school time fields. These efforts affect thousands of early education and out of school time providers, who serve more than275,000 children each day. In its broadest role, EEC also serves as a source of information to more than one million families in Massachusetts.
EEC is committed to increasing the quality of early education and care and out of school time programs through enhancing the skills and education of the early education and care workforce.
Grant Purpose: / The purpose of this grant is to support the early education and care workforce by supporting career pathways with a range of professional development opportunities.
Grant Goals and Priorities: / The specific goals of the Professional Development Transitional Grant are to:
1.Provide access to a range of services that meet the needs of the provider community including adult basic education (ABE), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, and courses that offer college credit or Continuing Education Units (CEU) that can advance practitioners along a career path;
  1. Support providers’ enrollment in degree granting programs or assess what supports are needed to advance career goals;
  2. Ensure that opportunities are available to meet the need for non-traditional professional development, including night and weekend classes, and off-campus and approved distance learning.
  3. Encourage broad-based collaboration across public and private agencies to identify and leverage existing training resources to support professional development and to encourage input and collaboration from all sectors of the field including practitioners, programs, agencies, organizations, and policy makers.
  4. Provide high quality professional development services during the first six months of the fiscal year while helping to plan for a smooth transition to a statewide approach to professional development.

Applicant Eligibility: / This is an application for six months of transitional professional development grant funding. Existing CPC programs who received transitional professional development funding in FY 2007 are eligible to apply for renewal of grant funds, either individually or jointly. The approval of your FY 2008 continuation application and request for funds may be delayed or withheld if there are outstanding FY 2007 and/or 2008 data reports.
The lead agency and all subcontracted providers must comply with all applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures, inclusive of any changes made to the CPC Program as a result of enacted legislation, duly promulgated regulations, or policies implemented by the Board and/or the Department of Early Education and Care.
Funding: / This is an application for transitional professional development grant funding for the first six months of FY 2008. CPC lead agencies may apply for the funding amounts noted in Appendix B. Professional development transitional grant funding is subject to FY 2008 state budget appropriations and budget language.
Approval of FY 2008 renewal applications is approved contingent upon submission of all required forms detailed in the “Required Forms” section of this application. Final grant payments will be contingent upon submission of a complete FY 2007 Service Delivery Report, to be available in June 2007.
Fund Use: / Professional development transitional grant funds may be used as follows:
  • Purchase a college course or seats in a college course that leads to early childhood certification; a CDA; or CEUs specifically related to early childhood education;
  • Offer an online college course that leads to early childhood certification; a CDA; or; an early childhood degree or CEUs specifically related to early childhood;
  • Purchase a college preparatory course or seats in a course for Adult Basic Education (ABE) or English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL);
  • Purchase educational materials to compliment and support any of the above activities when any of the above activities are offered.
  • Pay for costs, including staff salaries, associated with career development support, academic advising, or mentoring associated with any of the above professional development; and
  • Pay for stipends for after-hours work to plan/implement collaboration/coordination of services among agencies/organizations.
Professional Development funds can not be used to offer or purchase:
  • courses that are available through Early Childhood Educators or CDA Scholarships [or that are offered through Building Careers] or for conferences or workshops that do not provide CEUs;
  • Pre-service/In-service training (specific mandatory training that is job-related or required in order for an individual to obtain or maintain a particular certificate or credential such as CPR, First Aid, EEC Orientation); OR
  • Training that does not assist an individual in developing new competencies that may lead to career advancement.
Fiscal Administration and Oversight
Please note the limit on fiscal administrative costs. The sum of the following expenditures cannot exceed 8.0% of the total the professional development grant award (delineated indetail in Part II: Budget Detail and Narrative):
  1. Salary of the supervisor of the grant coordinator;
  2. Salaries of fiscal staff (including, but not limited to, bookkeeper and contract monitors);
  3. Telephone/utility, maintenance and repair, and internal audit costs associated with the administration of the accreditation grant program; and
  4. Costs of administrative caps on subcontracts. Administrative costs of any subcontract shall not exceed 8.0% of the subcontract award. Please use guidelines equivalent to those provided above, and delineated in Part II: Budget Detail and Narrative, to determine the administrative costs of a subcontract.
Please note: EEC reserves the right to include the above categories in its calculation of an approved administrative cap. Federal indirect rates may not be charged to this grant.
Required Services / Applicants must:
  1. Offer professional development opportunities to target populations including practitioners who meet the following criteria:
  • At least 16 years of age; and
  • Employed or self-employed in a EEC licensed or license-exempt early education and care program; andone of the following:
  • Currently be in the process of pursuing an early childhood credential, certification, CDA, or an early childhood degree;OR
  • Lack a high school diploma or GED or have not passed the pre-requisite test to matriculate into higher education or demonstrate a need to improve their basic English proficiency skills (verbal or written);OR
  • Be pursuing professional development to enhance knowledge and skills and advance career goals in early education and care.
  1. Provide course offerings at times and locationswhich meet the needs of early childhood professionals who work full time in early education and care settings by offering courses during flexible hours (e.g. nights, weekends, on-site, or online);
  1. Maintain records on individual professional development to track need;
  1. Ensure that students receive written verification of their satisfactory completion of course; and
  1. Submit required EEC reports, including but not limited to the following:
  • FY 2007 Service Delivery Report; and
  • FY 2008 Service Delivery Report

Project Duration / 7/1/2007 – 12/312007(provided applicants meet all program requirements)
Contact / Contact: Katie DeVita
Phone: 617-988-6622
Email:
Timeline and Submission Date / Continuation grant proposals must be submitted byJune 11, 2007and must be received by EEC’s Central office by 3:00 pm.
Required
Forms to be Submitted: /
  1. Part II- Budget Detail Pages and Budget Narrative (Attached Separately)
  2. Part III: Program Information (informed by goals and priorities listed above)
  3. Part IV- FY 2008 Program Contact Information
Please note: Part I: Standard Contract Form will be sent to you following your grant submission and must be returned to EEC with original signatures by June 22nd.
Additional
Information for the Applicant: / Appendix A: Instructions
Appendix B: Transitional Grant Eligibility Amounts (Subject to FY 2008 state budget appropriations and budget language)Attached Separately
Appendix C: Grant Negotiation, Payment Terms, Grant Expenditures, Termination, Recoupment of Funds, and Relevant Laws
Submission
Instructions: / PLEASE NOTE: SUBMISSION REQUIRES E-MAILING AND MAILING PORTIONS OF THIS APPLICATION
Applicants must mail one complete originaland 3 complete copies to:
Grants Management
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care
51 Sleeper Street
Boston, MA02210
Applicants must email*:
Part II: Budget Detail and Narrative; and
Part III: Subcontractor Budget Detail and Narrative, to:
Pleaseinclude “Professional Development Grant” and the name of your Lead Agency in the subject line of the email message. If your Lead Agency is submitting more than one RFR, please indicate the communities served (e.g., CPC RFR: Lead Agency Name: Town 1 Served, Town 2 Served) in your e-mail.

PART IV – PROGRAM INFORMATION

1. Please provide the following data on the number of practitioners in programs whom you served in FY 2007:

  • # currently pursuing an AA/AS degree ____
  • # currently pursuing a BA/BS degree ____
  • # currently pursuing a CDA _____
  • # currently in process of completing ABE/ESOL program _____
  • # in need of ABE/ESOL support _____
  • # lacking college degree _____
  • # in need of skill building or college prep supports _____
  • # wishing to pursue additional EEC certification ______
  1. Describe any collaborative efforts currently in place related to professional development (e.g., collaborations with other CPCs, institutions of higher education, providers of ABE/ESOL, MFNs, etc.).
  1. Describe any professional development opportunities that are currently being offered through resources other than EEC professional development funds (e.g., in-kind opportunities).
  1. Please describe in detail the professional development opportunities you plan to provide in FY 2008. Please include a description of course subject matter, how services will be delivered, and the number of expected participants.
  1. How will your program leverage other resources in your community (e.g. fund raising, collaboration with other entities for co-sponsored services, and in-kind contributions) to increase access to professional development opportunities in your area?

PART V: FY 2008 PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

  1. SUMMER CONTACT - Must be available to the Department from June 10, 2007 through September 1, 2007.

Name:
Name of Agency:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail: *
  1. GRANT COORDINATOR

Name:
Name of Agency:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail: *
  1. LEAD AGENCY CONTACT

Name:
Name of Agency:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail: *
  1. FISCAL CONTACT.

Name:
Name of Agency:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail: *

APPENDIX A – INSTRUCTIONS

PART II: Budget Detail and Narrative – Instructions

Your Transitional Professional Development budget is in the form of an Excel spread sheet that is divided into two sections, Direct Services and Local Planning and Coordination. These separate sections are based on the specific line items in the state budget. Its purpose is to provide budgetary information, using a line item or object of expenditure format. All amounts on budget lines must be rounded to whole dollars.

Specific budgetary information structured in an object of expenditure or line item format and containing sufficient sub-line item information to comply with the relevant laws is required.

Grant recipients must do the following:

  • Maintain separate and auditable records for each project;
  • Maintain time and attendance records to support payrolls;
  • Maintain time distribution records for salaries and wages of employees that are chargeable to more than one grant program; and
  • Administer funds in compliance with relevant federal, state and local laws, regulations and/or policies, including but not limited to 815 CMR 2.00 et. seq."

General Instructions

Open the Excel document entitled Budget Detail Information and Narrative attached to your email. Save this document to your computer. Rename the file so it includes the name of your Lead Agency (e.g. Budget Detail _Lead Agency Name_Town Names).

The first column of budget detail and narrative document has numbered rows. These numbers budget detail line for reference purposes.

The budget contains the following columns:

  • Lead Agency Name: Please enter the legal name of your lead agency.
  • Communities served: Please enter the communities served in your lead agency’s formal catchment area.
  • Expenditure Category: Delineates the specific expenditure categories that reflect Professional Development grant program goals and allowable expenditures
  • Proposed FY 2008 Expenditure: Report the proposed funding you intend to allocate to specific expenditure categories. This column will auto-sum all of the figures entered to provide a subtotal where indicated and total grant award amount at the bottom of the spreadsheet. This amount should not exceed your given allocation for that particular line item, as listed in Appendix B).
  • Expenditure Description: Please provide a detailed explanation of how the funding proposed in the Proposed FY 2008 Expenditure column will be used. Please do not reiterate the definitions that are included in the next column entitled Expenditure Parameters.
  • Expenditure Parameters: Pprovides definitions and parameters for appropriate expenditures.

Important:Rows numbered 1 through 11 (highlighted in yellow to far left) reflect costs to the Lead Agency associated with coordination and implementation of the Professional Development Grant.

Rows number 12 and 13(highlighted in yellow to far left) should reflect costs associated with subcontracted services.

Row 12: Program Coordination and Support Attributed to Subcontracts: Please indicate thetotal expenditures attributed to subcontractors for the purpose of grant coordination and/or implementation. For each subcontractor who conducts grant coordination and support, please complete Part III: Subcontractor Budget Detail and Narrative.

Row 13: Subcontracts for Individual Consultants/contractors: Please indicate the total expenditures for individual consultants/contractors for the delivery of Professional Development services other than program coordination and implementation. Please note: subcontracts with independent contractors for the provision of program coordination, including subsidy management services are prohibited in this line. You do not need to complete Part III: Subcontractor Budget Detail and Narrative for these subcontractors.

In the section labeled “Grant Administration and Oversight” please indicate in the Proposed FY 2008 Expenditure column, the amount your lead agency will expend on approved administrative costs. Approved administrative costs are delineated in the Expenditure Parameter column of this budget. You must indicate administrative costs of the lead agency and any subcontract separately. Administrative costs associated with subcontract may also not exceed 8% of the total subcontract.

Please note: The sum of lead agency administrative costs and subcontracted administrative costs must not exceed 8% of the total grant amount (preschool direct services and local planning and coordination). Federal indirect rates or those assigned by other entities may not be charged to this grant.

Note: Professional Development Grant Total may not exceed the allocation listed in Appendix B.

APPENDIX B – GRANT NEGOTIATION, PAYMENT TERMS, GRANT EXPENDITURES, TERMINATION, RECOUPMENT OF FUNDS, AND RELEVANT LAW

EEC will negotiate with the selected Grantee(s) the specific deliverables and timeline for their completion prior to the commencement of this project. Payments will be made according to the final negotiated terms. EEC will have sole discretion to determine whether a deliverable has been successfully completed by a Grantee thereby triggering a payment.

If during the project, a Grantee would like to request a change in the required services, deliverables, or timeline, the Grantee may propose such changes to EEC who may agree to implement such changes. The parties may mutually agree to such change(s) through a written memorandum. A formal grant amendment will not be required.

Grantees are encouraged to use Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT). EFT allows for payments to be made from the Commonwealth to grantees electronically and is the preferred method of payment for all payees doing business with the Commonwealth. Use of EFT significantly reduces payment delays through a reduction in processing and mailing time. Registering a grantee for EFT payments requires completion of an Electronic Funds Transfer form by the Grantee and submission to EEC as part of contract execution.

To initiate any grant payments, grantees must submit a Request for Funds Form for the appropriate fiscal year. Throughout the grant term, grantees must seek EEC’s approval for any budget changes by filing EEC Amendment Forms. Within sixty (60) days of the termination of a grant, a grantee must submit an FR1 Final Financial Report and repay the Commonwealth for any unexpended funds. These forms are available at EEC’s website,

Forms must be sent to the following address:

Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care

51 Sleeper Street, 4th Floor

Boston, MA02210

Attn: Sandy Fortier Hollow

All grant recipients must use the grant monies in accordance with the terms and requirements set forth in this Request for Responses, in addition to applicable EEC policies, regulations and/or state or federal laws. EEC reserves the right to recoup any and all monies which are not spent in accordance with such terms and/or laws. EEC further reserves the right to discontinue grant funding to any recipient who violates any of the grant terms and/or conditions which are incorporated into this Request for Responses.

The selected Grantee must comply with all applicable provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws, State Finance Law, 815 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 2.00 et seq. (regarding grants), and the Office of the State Comptroller’s policies and procedures regarding grants.

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