FY27 CAR Specialized Care and Early Education Program

FY27 CAR Specialized Care and Early Education Program

This grant award will have an initial period of performance starting in FY27 (07/01/2026 (or upon execution of the agreement) through 06/30/2029). A budget should be submitted for FY27 only.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Provider will deliver age-appropriate early education, developmental screenings, on-site health services, therapeutic supports, nutritious meals and specialized evidence-based curriculum. Additionally, the Provider will strengthen and stabilize families by assessing their needs and goals, developing service plans and coordinating services, including parent training, support groups, family engagement activities, counseling, and permanency planning, to prevent substitute care placement.

Provider will deliver services to increase access to early childhood education, healthcare and deliver family strengthening support services for children ages six weeks up to kindergarten, whose medical, developmental or behavioral issues would preclude admission to a conventional day care or early learning program. Services delivered shall prevent child abuse/neglect by providing specialized care and early education of children with training and support for their families that promote children’s wellbeing and positive parenting, using evidence-based interventions.

The Provider will be open for between the hours of 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding agency holidays). Program staff may operate outside the general agency hours based on client needs. Provider will offer the following services:
• high quality early education programs
• on-site health services capable of serving children with a range of medical, developmental and emotional issues
• family advocacy and support services
• mental health assessment, referral and therapy intervention
• parent leadership and engagement activities

Early Childhood Education -
Provider will deliver primary services including annual developmental screenings, ongoing assessment, onsite health services, specialized therapies and evidence-based curriculum. In addition, parents and caregivers are provided with supportive social services, educational health and nutrition education. Following licensing standards, age-appropriate classrooms shall provide learning environments designed to meet the needs of children affected by extreme poverty, illness, and developmental conditions. Provider staff must be specifically trained to provide quality care and early childhood education, to support the families through evidence-based early intervention curricula research-proven programs (ages 0–5) that improve social-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes.

Upon intake Provider will conduct an assessment and in conjunction with the parent/caregiver, will develop individual service plans for each child and parent/caregiver. Children’s developmental progress will be measured using an evidenced based curriculum and assessment tool, that evaluate children’s physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language development. Provider will use a developmental inventory screening tool to assess multiple developmental domains. Outcomes will be collected three times throughout the program year, and attendance will be accurately tracked and recorded daily at pick-up and drop-off. The Provider will gather parent feedback, both informally and through client surveys and assess parent understanding of child development through self-reports and ongoing staff interaction.

On-site health services -
Provider will offer on-site health services through a full-time, onsite Registered Nurse. The Nurse will conduct initial health intakes, for all children, ensure immunizations and health assessments are current, coordinate hearing, vision, and dental screenings, and collect regular reports from primary care physicians. The on-site nurse will maintain health records, document children’s medical and dental appointments, make home visits, and consult with parents on a child’s specific medical issues. A licensed physician will oversee the on-site nurse and provide consultation and monitoring as needed.

All children will receive an initial health assessment. Children 0-12 months will be reassessed weekly and children 13 months to five years will be reassessed monthly. The on-site Nurse will follow-up with parents when children exams or screenings are due, when further care is recommended, and will document all follow-up actions and appointments. Children will receive on-site hearing and vision screenings every three months.

Family Advocacy and Support services -
Will be offered and will include information, resources, and referrals to help families support children’s health and development, family stability, positive parent child relationships, and effective parenting practices. Provider will link parents to partner organizations and external services as needed. These supports advance safety, permanency and wellbeing of high-risk children.

Mental health assessment, referral and therapy intervention services -
May be conducted by a licensed mental health or social service professional for child or families as needed.

Parent leadership and engagement activities -
Will be offered through parent-teacher conferences, home visits, parent meetings, parent skills training and a voluntary parent advisory council. The Provider will also engage in community strengthening and collaborate with Head Start/Early Head Start agencies, Start Early programs, public school systems and other community based social service providers, maintaining fidelity to Early Head Start and national accreditation standards.

Meals and snacks: Provider will offer nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack options to children in the program daily.
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STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS

Direct Service:
Lead Teacher: Minimally, must possess a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Early Childhood Special Education from an accredited college or university; Type 04 Certification; and have a minimum of three years professional experience working with young children in a child-care setting, with at least one year as a lead teacher. Experience working with special needs children and bilingual oral/written skills (English/Spanish) preferred.

Teacher Assistant: must possess an associate’s degree in early childhood education or related field from an accredited school with a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. CDA credential must be specific to infant/toddler or preschool ages as appropriate for the assigned classroom.

Teacher’s Aide: Must possess a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or 12 credit hours in Early Childhood Education with enrollment and proof of attendance in a CDA program with a minimum of one year of professional experience working with young children in a child-care setting required.

Child & Family Nurse: Must possess a current Illinois Registered Nurse (RN) license with specialization in pediatric nursing and be in good standing.

Supervisory:
Program Manager: must possess a master’s degree in early childhood development or related field from an accredited college or university, with 5 years of progressive supervisory and management experience in an early childhood education program, daycare center or similar organization. Must demonstrate knowledge of Head Start, Early Head Start, and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) performance standards.

Education Coordinator: Must possess a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with Infant-Toddler Credential from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience in an early childhood setting with a strong focus on the 0-5 age group.

Executive Director: Must possess a bachelor’s degree in social work, Counseling, Early Childhood Education or a related field from an accredited college or university and a minimum of 8 to 10 years of progressive supervisory and management experience in social services required, preferably in child welfare or early childhood education.
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MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS

Provider must maintain sufficient minimum staff/child ratios to comply with or exceed all applicable licensing requirements. The staff to child ratio is 1:4 in infant/toddler rooms (0-3 yr. old) and 1:8 in preschool rooms (3-5 yr. old).
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CLIENTS

Client is defined as any family who has been identified at risk with a child(ren) between the ages of six weeks until the child enters kindergarten, affected by one of the following criteria: poverty, at risk, mild to moderate chronic physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities, or other specialized medical needs. Children and families who have open cases with the Department and who are approved for referral by the designated Department staff person will give priority. Children and families not involved with the child welfare system may also be served as long as they meet the above criteria.
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TARGET POPULATION

Inclusions:
The early learning education program is open to low-income, at-risk children between the ages of six weeks until the child enters kindergarten affected by one of the following criteria: poverty, at risk, mild to moderate chronic physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities, or other specialized medical needs. Children and families who have open cases with the Department and who are approved for referral by the designated Department staff person will give priority. Children and families not involved with the child welfare system may also be served as long as they meet the above criteria.

Exclusions:
Families and youth whose medical conditions or severe behavior make group interaction contraindicated will be excluded. Temporary exclusions may be made in the case of certain health or medical conditions: children will be temporarily excluded from the Center when an injury or illness cannot be safely and appropriately accommodated.

Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: 10
Capacity at Any Given Time: 6

Client Capacity Under Program: 88
Capacity at Any Given Time: 73

Average Length of Services: 24 – 36 months

The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters.
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REFERRAL DECISION-MAKING CRITERIA

The Provider will accept all referrals meeting eligibility and intake criteria as defined in Section 2.1 of this program plan on a no decline basis, except when the program is at capacity. Once capacity is met, clients would be put on a waitlist, then notified immediately, once an opening becomes available.

Families involved with DCFS or a Contributing Child Welfare Agency (CWCA) will be accepted to the program with a referral from the caseworker or supervisor including a release of information. Community clients may be referred by family court systems, social service agencies, or self-referrals via email, phone or mail. The Provider will review referral and confirm eligibility criteria in section 2.1 within two working days of receiving the referral or inquiry.
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TREATMENT GOALS/SERVICE PLANS

Provider will complete an annual assessment and family service plan for all children and families to provide information and assistance to support children’s health and development and to achieve parent led short and long-term goals. This will be monitored monthly. Provider will make referrals to partner organizations and external services as needed. Developmental and health screenings will be completed within 45 days of a child’s enrollments and annually thereafter. At least 90% of children will meet goals identified in their service plans. Children’s total length of time in the program varies, since a child can enroll between the ages of six weeks until eligible for kindergarten.
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES

• A minimum of 80% will make expected physical, emotional and cognitive developmental progress
• Improved readiness for transitions
• 90% up to date on immunizations/exams
• Earlier identification of concerns
• Each child and family will have an assessment performed within 45 days of intake to inform individualized plans for developmental goals. Progress towards goals will be assessed every six months.
• Parent-teacher conferences will be held twice annually.
• Two home visits will be made to each family annually
• 60–75% show behavioral improvement
• Classroom observations completed twice a year by therapist and provide recommendations for treatment
• Parents will attend parent meetings parent-teacher conferences
• Use of the Parents as Teachers curriculum to increase parents’ knowledge and understanding of their child’s development in all domains
• Staff and family build partnership through initial home visits, family partnership agreements
• At least 90% of children who graduate the program will enter kindergarten fully prepared to learn, as indicated by age-appropriate assessment tools.
• Improved coordinated access
• Stronger community support network

Details

• Awarding Agency: Department Of Children And Family Services
• CSFA Number: 418-00-3574
• CSFA Popular Name: Specialized Care and Early Education Program
• Funding Opportunity Number: 418 - Specialized Care and Early Education Program
• Assistance Listings Number: 93.669
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $150,000.00
• Expected Number of Awards: 2
• Funding Sources: Federal Or Federal Pass Through, State
• Indirect Costs Allowed: Yes
• Posted Date: 2026-04-28
• Award Period: 2026-07-01 – 2027-06-30

Funding Restrictions

Grant awards will be subject to state statutory requirements that limit the administrative costs to 20%. Fringe benefits cannot exceed 25% of total salaries.

Indirect Cost Description

Indirect Costs are allowed. To charge indirect costs to a grant, the applicant organization must have an annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

There are three types of NICRAs:

1. Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding, may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. The organization must provide a copy of the federal NICRA.

2. State Negotiated Rate. The organization may negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate. If an organization has not previously established an indirect cost rate, an indirect cost rate proposal may be submitted to the State of Illinois through the indirect cost rate system no later than three months after the effective date of the award. If an organization previously established an indirect cost rate, the organization must continue to use that rate until its expiration. Upon expiration, the organization may re-submit a new indirect cost proposal through the system annually, within six months after the close of the grantee’s fiscal year, OR an organization may elect to use the de minimis rate instead of their State Negotiated Rate.

3. De Minimis Rate. An organization may elect a de minimis rate of 15% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate.
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NOTE
• All grantees must complete an indirect cost rate negotiation or elect the De Minimis Rate in the indirect cost rate system to claim indirect costs. Indirect costs claimed without an established negotiated rate or a De Minimis Rate election in the system may be subject to disallowance.
• Grantees have discretion not to claim payment for indirect costs. Grantees that elect not to claim indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs.
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Restrictions on Indirect Costs

Yes

Citation Governing Indirect Cost Restriction

2 CFR 200.414(c) and 2 CFR 300.414

State Award Notices

REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
All applications must be submitted by the posted deadline. IDCFS staff conducts an initial review of all applications received for eligibility and GATA compliance. Reviewers may consist of DCFS GATA staff, division leadership, and other internal DCFS staff. Each proposal will be reviewed by a minimum of three reviewers. The review and selection of grant award recipients is conducted in a fair and equitable manner that evaluates and selects grantees most likely to be successful in delivering results based on program objectives, and with limited disruption to the continuity of services. Proposals will be approved based on funding available.

While recommendations from the review team will be a key factor in funding decisions, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the scores of the review team to be non-binding recommendations. The Department reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering geographic distribution of awards (e.g., ensuring coverage of certain counties or service areas), client needs, and overall programmatic/ financial risk assessments in its pre-award decisions. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information.

Final award decisions will be made by the Director (or their designee). The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, locations, etc. Funds are disbursed based on the schedule agreed upon and included within the Uniform Grant Agreement. The release of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not obligate the Department to make an award.
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AWARD NOTIFICATIONS
An award status notification (approval or denial) will be delivered via an automated email from Euna Grants. This email will serve as notification that an award has been made. However, this email is not an authorization to begin performance or incur costs.
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APPEALS
Competitive grant (and in some cases non-competitive) appeals are limited to an appeal related to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested.

An appeal must be submitted in writing in accordance with the grant application document. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days of Award denial.
The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following:
i. the name and address of the appealing party
ii. identification of the grant for which you are appealing the evaluation/review process
iii. a statement of reasons for the appeal

Response to Appeal
a. DCFS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
b. DCFS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required.
c. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by DCFS within the time period set in the request.

Reporting

Grantees will be expected to submit both (monthly or quarterly) periodic performance reports and monthly financial reports. The exact reporting requirements of this award will be defined in the program plan of the Uniform Grant Agreement.