OHS released the initial Application Instructions for Five Year Grants in March, 2014, pursuant to ACF-IM-HS-14-02 regarding Federal Oversight of Five Year Head Start Grants. OHS released Version 2 of these Application Instructions on April 1, 2015.

Version 2 has been edited for clarity and organization but contains the same content. Material from Training & Technical Assistance publications, such as definitions of terms and links to resources, has also been embedded in Version 2.

Programs may begin using the updated instructions immediately. The general expectation is that all programs should submit applications based on this version by July 1, 2015. If your organization has already begun working on an application due in the next few months (e.g. May, June, July) using Version 1 of the Application Instructions, you do NOT need to make changes to align with Version 2. For programs that have not yet started, OHS recommends using the updated Version 2. As before, this single set of instructions covers both Baseline and Continuation grants.

The grant application package must be developed and submitted in an electronic format using the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES) at https://hses.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hsprograms. Training materials and a User’s Guide can be found in the "Instructions" section of HSES. Complete and submit the application in the HSES tab for “Financials,” then “Grant Applications.”

A PDF of the Application Instructions for Five Year Grants Version 2 can be found HERE. Please note that the Application Instructions are also available from the HSES Instructions menu, on the Financials tab, and will not be hard copy mailed with Funding Guidance Letters. The Application Instructions Version 2 document is also linked from the program’s Home screen in HSES.

For technical assistance regarding HSES, please contact the HSES Help Desk.

HSES Help Desk
Head Start Enterprise System
E-mail: help@hsesinfo.org
Toll Free: 866-771-4737
Local: 703-528-0591

We also want to remind you that T/TAS is hosting a special event which we encourage programs to attend – The Five-Year Grant Application Process and How to Align with the 2015 OHS Monitoring System, June 3-4 in Orlando. Starting with the five year plans, T/TAS will explain and demonstrate how the pieces are meant to line up for programs. How the community and self-assessments are used to drive the collaborative aspect of community based goal setting, which in turn sets the stage for program and agency long term plans, short term objectives and service delivery requirements will be explained. By attending this rare symposium, participants will observe how achieving performance standards is no longer the only goal that organizations must be targeting and how the Board and Policy Council will have to be informed of their responsibilities in holding programs accountable for goals set by their Head Start 0-5 programs. Get full details and access to online registration for this valuable event HERE. Feel free to contact T/TAS with any questions.

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J. Christopher Watkins, MA, MBA
T/TAS Executive Director
james.watkins@wku.edu