[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 93 (Friday, May 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30623-30630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11977]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications (SGAs) for the Purpose of Training Child Care Providers

SUMMARY: This notice contains all of the necessary information and 
forms needed to apply for grant funding. The Department of Labor, 
Employment and Training Administration, Bureau of Apprenticeship and 
Training, invites proposals for approximately ten (10) awards for the 
implementation of the Quality Child Care Initiative. It will assist 
with the initiation of building a national system for the education and 
training of professional child care providers and expand the National 
Apprenticeship System by incorporating diversification of occupational 
entities through development of new and innovative strategies for 
increasing the participation among the child care industry.

DATES: Applications will be accepted commencing on the date of 
publication. The closing date for receipt of applications is July 12, 
2000, at 4 P.M., (Eastern Time ) at the address below. Telefacsimile 
(FAX), Ttelegraphed, or Electronic Applications will not be honored.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: Reda Harrison, Reference: SGA/DFA 00-106, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4203, Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Questions should be faxed to Reda Harrison, 
Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, Fax 202-
219-8739. This is not a toll-free number. All inquiries should include 
the SGA number (DFA 00-106) a contact name, fax and phone numbers. This 
solicitation will also be published on the Internet on the Employment 
and Training Administration's Home Page at http://www.doleta.gov. Award 
notifications will also be published on this Home Page.

Quality Child Care Initiative Solicitation

I. Purpose

    To invite proposals for providing a credentialed career path for 
development of professional child care providers through the 
utilization of the National Registered Apprenticeship System; which 
will reduce turnover, increase wages for providers, provide a more 
stable environment for children and lower the concern of parents.

II. Background

    The Child Care Industry is in trouble. A 1989 study by the National 
Center of Early Childhood Workforce found that the quality of services 
provided by most day care centers was rated as ``barely

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adequate,'' and a more recent four-State study by the University of 
Colorado, at Denver, found that only 14 percent of child care centers 
were rated as good quality. In addition, child care workers are faced 
with relatively low wages, inadequate benefit coverage and high job 
turnover.
    On October 23, 1997, President and Mrs. Clinton hosted the White 
House Conference on Child Care to focus the Nation's attention on the 
importance of addressing the need for safe, affordable, available and 
quality child care. Integral to providing the ``right'' care is the 
quality of the child care worker.
    Quality child care service goes hand in glove with having an 
adequate supply of competent, professional child care providers. This 
requires enhanced training opportunities and a redefinition of the 
basic concept of what constitutes a child care provider. A national 
focus on accreditation demands that practitioners have access to 
education and training that will promote professional development. As 
the field of early care and education becomes established as a 
profession, practitioners are required to master basic knowledge, 
skills and core competencies of early childhood development. As 
professionals, practitioners must develop practical knowledge that will 
enable them to apply new approaches and strategies for working 
effectively with young children.

III. Statement of Work

    As our society continues to evolve and demands are placed on 
parents to secure full time job/careers, the need for safe, affordable, 
available and quality child care has been brought to the forefront. 
Utilization of the National Apprenticeship System can provide needed 
training for early care and education practitioners. High quality 
training has the potential to change the culture of the child care 
industry from one dominated by low pay and high turnover to one of 
respected professional service. No longer would child care be equated 
to baby-sitting.
    The apprenticeship model validates the integral part that child 
care plays in the economy, as working families rely on dependable, 
accessible care for their children. As families move from welfare to 
work, additional sources of training child care providers are in 
demand.

    Note: All applicants are expected to provide information 
relative to the projected number of participants (i.e., employers, 
apprentices and the diverse make-up of the participants).


    The major tasks of this project will be, but not limited, to the 
following:
    <bullet> System and capacity-building by incorporating in a 
collaborative spirit organizations, agencies, employers, associations 
and higher education (i.e., State Child Care Association, State Head 
Start Association, State Early Childhood Professional Associations , 
School Age Care, Black Child Development Institution, State Family 
Child Care Associations, State Head Start Collaboration Directors, Post 
Secondary Institutions, Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, 
Registered Apprenticeship Representative), to develop a vision for 
implementation of an individual statewide sustainable infrastructure 
built upon successful registered apprenticeship and best practice 
models;
    <bullet> From the above activity, establishment of an oversight 
body to provide direction and guidance to the vision, utilizing the 
services of an Apprenticeship and Training Representative.
    <bullet> Utilization of an established curriculum or development of 
a curriculum based on developmentally appropriate inclusive practices 
for young children and an interactive adult education teaching approach 
that is effective for adult learners.
    <bullet> Adoption of or establishment of a train-the-trainer system 
that will ensure the availability of knowledgeable, experienced, 
skilled instructors for the related instruction course work;
    <bullet> Development of a process to promote career lattice for 
those graduates of the registered apprenticeship system (i.e., 
articulation into an Associates Degree or higher);
    <bullet> Ensuring the inclusion of those with other nationally 
recognized credentials such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) 
through previous credit for documented prior experience;
    <bullet> Demonstration of in-kind support from institutions 
involved in the process (i.e., time spent to facilitate and foster the 
process and/or free facilities to conduct related instruction);
    <bullet> Development and implementation of a strategy or strategies 
to ensure inclusion of practitioners representing diversity of culture, 
ethnicity, gender and ability;
    <bullet> Development of policies, procedures and formulas to ensure 
the consistency and integrity of system implementation and beyond. The 
system will be sustainable and ownership established, if the process is 
followed throughout the state.

IV. Application Process

    Eligible Applicants: Those eligible to apply are as follows: States 
that have a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA); State Agencies 
designated by the Governor; Governor's Early Childhood Initiative; and 
other State Agencies with responsibility for child care regulations or 
funding. Only one proposal will be accepted per State; and for States 
without an SAA, a letter from the Governor designating the agency must 
accompany the proposal. Those awardees who received Child Care 
Initiative awards in 1999 are not eligible to compete for this 
procurement.

V. Application Submittal

    Applicants must submit four (4) copies of their proposal, with 
original signatures. The application shall be divided into two distinct 
parts: Part I--which contains Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for 
Federal Assistance,'' (Appendix A) and ``Budget Information Sheet,'' 
(Appendix B). All copies of the SF 424 MUST have original signatures of 
the legal entity applying for grant funding. Applicants shall indicate 
on the SF 424 the organization's IRS Status, if applicable. According 
to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Section 18, an organization 
described in Section 501(c) 4 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
which engages in lobbying activities shall not be eligible for the 
receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number is 17.249. In 
addition, the budget shall include--on a separate page(s)--a detailed 
cost break-out of each line item on the Budget Information Sheet. Part 
II shall contain the program narrative that demonstrates the 
applicant's plan and capabilities in accordance with the evaluation 
criteria contained in this section. Applicants must describe their plan 
in light of each of the Evaluation Criteria. Applicants MUST limit the 
program narrative section to no more than 30 double-spaced pages, on 
one side only. This includes any attachments. Applications that fail to 
meet the page limitation requirement will not be considered.

VI. Late Applications

    Any application received after the exact date and time specified 
for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be 
considered, unless it is received before awards are made and it--(a) 
was sent by U.S. Postal Service registered or certified mail not later 
than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of 
applications (e.g., an application submitted in response to a 
solicitation requiring receipt of applications by the 20th of the month 
must have been mailed/post marked by the 15th of that month); or

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(b) was sent by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day Service 
to addressee not later than 5 P.M. at the place of mailing two working 
days prior to the date specified for receipt of applications. The term 
``working days'' excludes weekends and Federal holidays. ``Post-
marked'' means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression 
(exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily 
identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or 
affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal 
Service.

VII. Withdrawal of Applications

    Applications may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram 
(including mail gram) received at any time before an award is made. 
Applications may be withdrawn in person by the applicant or by an 
authorized representative thereof, the representative's identity is 
made known and representative signs a receipt of the proposal.

VIII. Hand Delivered Proposals

    It is preferred that applications be mailed at least five days 
prior to the closing date. To be considered for funding, hand-delivered 
applications must be received by 4 P.M., (Eastern Time), July 12, 2000, 
at the specified address. Failure to adhere to the above instructions 
will be a basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness. Overnight 
express mail from carriers other than the U.S. Postal Service will be 
considered hand-delivered applications and must be received by the 
above specified date and time.

IX. Funding Availability and Period of Performance

    The Department expects to make up to 10 awards with a maximum total 
investment for these projects of $3.5 million. The estimated range of 
awards is to be from $175,000 to $350,000. The period of performance 
will be for 18 months from the date of execution.

X. Review Process

    A careful evaluation of applications will be made by a technical 
review panel who will evaluate the applications against the criteria 
listed below. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding 
on the Grant Officer. The Government may elect to award the grant with 
or without discussions with the offeror. In situations without 
discussions, an award will be based on the offeror's signature on the 
SF 424, which constitutes a binding offer. Those awards made will be in 
the best interests of the Government.

Evaluation Criteria

    A. System and Capacity Building--The extent to which the offeror 
has delineated collaboration strategies to develop a vision and 
implementation plan for a statewide infrastructure utilizing the 
registered apprenticeship system of training and forecast of 
implementation. (25 points)
    B. Sustainability--Plan for long term viability of the system after 
this funding ends. (15 points)
    C. Curriculum--Delineation of utilization or development of 
curriculum based on developmentally appropriate inclusive practices for 
young children and an interactive adult educational component for 
effective adult learners and a forecast of implementation. (15 points)
    D. Career Lattice--Describe the process for inclusion of 
participants with documented prior experience linked with substantial 
increases in compensation and next steps for apprenticeship graduates 
in the process (awarding of college credit and articulation with higher 
education). (20 points)
    E. Diversity--Outline the strategy or strategies developed to 
ensure inclusion of participants representing diversity of culture, 
ethnicity, gender and ability (i.e., projected number of employers and 
apprentices) and a forecast of implementation. (15 points)
    F. Consistency and Integrity--Delineation of the policies, 
procedures, and formulas developed to ensure consistency and integrity 
of the statewide system. (10 points)

XI. Reporting Requirements

    <bullet> Attendance to a post award orientation briefing (i.e., 
time and place to be announced), where BAT will reiterate and delineate 
the overall desired outcomes of the project;
    <bullet> Detailed work plan, budget, and schedule within 30 days of 
grant award;
    <bullet> Quarterly Status Reports within 30 days of quarters end;
    <bullet> Monthly cost vouchers;
    <bullet> Final report on completed tasks and specific 
recommendations for future grants for Child Care Initiatives, no later 
than 45 days following the end of the grant.

    Signed in Washington, DC, the 5th of May, 2000.
Laura A. Cesario,
Grant Officer, Division of Federal Assistance.

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[FR Doc. 00-11977 Filed 5-11-00; 8:45 am]
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