Request for Applications. Universal Pre-K Application and Enrollment Project: Technical Assistance and Coaching

Local Education Agencies, local Head Start programs, Smart Start partnerships, and other community organizations are invited to apply for technical assistance or coaching/mentoring to develop and implement a universal or common pre-K application process. This work is led by the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) Office of Early Learning (OEL).

Background and how to apply:

The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) has been awarded funding through the federal Birth to Five (B-5) Preschool Development Grant (PDG) for activities to strengthen NC’s early childhood education system. The PDG application includes activities for expanding on local best practices.

Recognizing that a universal enrollment/application process for services for four-year-old children is a best practice for coordinating effective service delivery across ECE programs, DCDEE has invited contractors, and their community partners, who have successfully implemented this approach to mentor other contractors, and their community partners, who wish to start a similar process.

DCDEE is partnering with the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) Office of Early Learning (OEL) for this activity to provide support to local communities and to identify strategies that may be replicated in other communities.  For more information about the PDG grant, see Preschool Development Grant Award.

Stakeholder meetings were held in July for providers to learn more about how some communities are using a universal or common pre-k application and enrollment process and participate in activities to think about how it might work in local communities. 

This Request for Applications is for a range of supports to receive technical assistance or coaching/mentoring for development and implementation of a universal or common pre-k application process through early 2020 (exact timeline to be confirmed). Options include:

  1. Technical Assistance: Ongoing online office hours will be held for community teams to sign up for support in learning more about common application and enrollment processes to support their independent work on a common application.  Technical assistance is available for any team to participate to gain information from state and local leaders with experience in this process.
  2. Coaching/Mentoring: Ongoing coaching/mentoring for a smaller number of community teams that wish to develop a universal application and enrollment process to implement for four-year-old children across multiple programs, including Head Start, Title 1 and NC Pre-K.  If chosen for coaching/mentoring, teams are expected to have a universal application and enrollment process ready to implement for four-year-old children across multiple programs by early 2020 (exact timeline to be confirmed). Selected teams will receive a $3,000 award to support stakeholder convening efforts.

Please note:

  1. Only one application per community may be submitted.
  2. Teams may select either option, Technical Assistance or Coaching.  If a team has selected Coaching and would like Technical Assistance if not chosen, select both options.
  3. Applications can be submitted by the Local Education Agency, Head Start, Smart Start Local Partnership or any other community organization provided that community partners have agreed to participate.
  4. The team will need to determine which agency will serve as fiscal agent.
  5. Applications are due by 5 PM, August 30th, 2019.
  6. A webinar will be held August 20th, 2019 for more information about the project and application.  Register Here: Universal Pre-K Application and Enrollment Project: TA and Coaching Informational Webinar

Apply Here: Request for Application: Universal Application/Enrollment Project-TA and Coaching

Applications Due August 30, 2019

For more information, contact:

Lorena R. González

Senior Manager, Early Education Branch

Division of Child Development and Early Education

lorena.gonzalez@dhhs.nc.gov

Carolyn Cobb

Project Coordinator

Division of Child Development and Early Education

ctcobb47@gmail.com 

Carla Garrett
Title I Preschool Consultant
Office of Early Learning (Pre-K – Grade 3)
Department of Public Instruction
Carla.Garrett@dpi.nc.gov

Karen McKnight
Director, NC Head Start State Collaboration Office
Office of Early Learning (Pre-K – Grade 3)
Department of Public Instruction
Karen.McKnight@dpi.nc.gov

Jenna-Marie Nelson

Program Officer: Early Care & Education

The North Carolina Partnership for Children
jnelson@smartstart.org