The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has announced the availability of up to $650 million for Early Head Start (EHS) expansion and child care partnerships. Competitive awards will be made to expand access to comprehensive early learning services for low-income infants and toddlers and their families.

Proposals may include EHS Child Care Partnerships in which EHS grantees partner with local child care providers to provide services to eligible infants and toddlers or Non-Partnership EHS Expansions in which EHS grantees apply to expand the number of slots in their existing traditional EHS programs. Applications may also include a combination of the two.

Eligible applicants include any public or private non-profit agency, including community-based and faith-based organizations, and certain for-profit agencies — including both new and existing EHS entities. ACF anticipates making 300 five-year awards of approximately $1.5 million annually each. Applications are due on August 20, 2014.