Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2022 ACF OCC TA 0002
The National Early Care and Education Workforce Center grant is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), issued through the Office of Child Care (OCC). It will fund one National Center under a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal government expects active involvement in shaping and overseeing the work rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The overall goal is to strengthen the early care and education (ECE) workforce across the full mixed-delivery system by improving both the supply of educators (recruitment) and the ability of programs to keep them (retention), with an emphasis on building and sustaining a diverse, qualified, and effective workforce.
The funded Center is expected to combine two major functions into one coordinated national effort: rigorous research and hands-on technical assistance (TA). On the research side, the Center will generate evidence that expands the knowledge base about what actually works to strengthen the ECE workforce, and that research is intended to directly inform and improve the technical assistance the Center provides. On the TA side, the Center will support state and local leaders and partners with practical guidance, tools, and implementation support to adopt and scale effective workforce strategies across settings that include family child care homes, child care centers, Head Start programs, and schools.
A central focus of the work is career advancement for ECE professionals. The Center is expected to help establish and strengthen career advancement systems and strategies that make it easier for educators to pursue credentials and degrees and to move forward along meaningful career pathways. At the same time, the opportunity places strong emphasis on compensation and workplace conditions, reflecting the reality that career pathways are difficult to sustain if wages, benefits, and working conditions remain disconnected from increased qualifications and responsibilities. The Center will therefore be expected to identify, encourage, and help implement sustainable strategies that increase compensation, support adequate pay, and improve workplace policies and supports, including areas like wages, benefits, and wellness, in alignment with career advancement.
Although the funding announcement is administered through OCC, it is explicitly described as a collaborative effort across multiple ACF offices, including the Office of Head Start (OHS), the Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), and ACFs Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE). This signals that the Center is meant to serve the broader ECE ecosystem rather than a single program silo, and that both research rigor and practical implementation support are priorities. ACF is looking for applicants with a strong track record in conducting high-quality research and delivering effective technical assistance specifically related to ECE workforce systems across mixed settings.
Key application details included in the notice are as follows: the Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2022 ACF OCC TA 0002, the instrument type is a Cooperative Agreement, and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services. The CFDA/assistance listing numbers referenced are 93.434, 93.575, and 93.600. The estimated maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $6,000,000, and ACF expects to make one award. The opportunity was created on September 12, 2022, and the original application deadline was November 7, 2022, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private entities with the capacity to operate a national research and TA center. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding IHEs in those categories as stated); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The awarding agency is listed as the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) - OCC.
The notice also flags practical submission issues applicants would need to plan around. It highlights SAM.gov entity validation delays tied to heavy demand, advising applicants to start the SAM registration and validation process early so legal business name and address checks do not disrupt submission timelines. It also notes a period of Grants.gov downtime in late September 2022 due to a cloud migration and strongly encourages applicants to download the full funding opportunity and attachments as soon as they are posted so materials remain accessible during system outages.Apply for HHS 2022 ACF OCC TA 0002
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - OCC in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Early Care and Education Workforce Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.434, 93.575, 93.600.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 12, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 07, 2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 pm Eastern Standard Time on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $6,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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National Early Care and Education Workforce Center Grant FAQs
What is the National Early Care and Education Workforce Center grant?
This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), issued through the Office of Child Care (OCC). It will fund a single National Center focused on strengthening the early care and education (ECE) workforce.
What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The goal is to strengthen the ECE workforce across the full mixed-delivery system by improving recruitment (supply of educators) and retention (programs ability to keep educators), with an emphasis on building and sustaining a diverse, qualified, and effective workforce.
How many awards does ACF expect to make?
ACF expects to make one award to fund one National Center.
What is the maximum award amount?
The estimated maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $6,000,000.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The instrument type is a Cooperative Agreement, which means the federal government expects active involvement in shaping and overseeing the work rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2022 ACF OCC TA 0002.
Which agency and office are administering the opportunity?
The awarding agency is the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Child Care (OCC).
Is this opportunity limited to child care, or does it span other early childhood settings?
It spans the broader ECE ecosystem across the mixed-delivery system. The work is intended to support settings that include family child care homes, child care centers, Head Start programs, and schools.
Which ACF offices are involved beyond the Office of Child Care (OCC)?
Although administered through OCC, the notice describes it as a collaborative effort across multiple ACF offices, including the Office of Head Start (OHS), the Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), and ACFs Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE).
What are the two major functions the funded Center must combine?
The Center is expected to combine (1) rigorous research and (2) hands-on technical assistance (TA) into one coordinated national effort.
What is expected on the research side of the Center's work?
The Center is expected to generate evidence that expands the knowledge base about what works to strengthen the ECE workforce. The research is intended to directly inform and improve the technical assistance the Center provides.
What is expected on the technical assistance (TA) side?
The Center is expected to support state and local leaders and partners with practical guidance, tools, and implementation support to adopt and scale effective workforce strategies across multiple ECE settings.
What workforce topics are emphasized in this opportunity?
The opportunity emphasizes recruitment and retention, career advancement systems and pathways, and compensation and workplace conditions (including wages, benefits, and wellness) aligned with increasing qualifications and responsibilities.
Why does the opportunity emphasize compensation and workplace conditions?
The notice reflects that career pathways are difficult to sustain if wages, benefits, and working conditions remain disconnected from increased qualifications and responsibilities. The Center is expected to identify, encourage, and help implement sustainable strategies that increase compensation and improve workplace policies and supports.
What does the grant mean by career advancement for ECE professionals?
The Center is expected to help establish and strengthen career advancement systems and strategies so educators can more easily pursue credentials and degrees and progress along meaningful career pathways.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private entities with the capacity to operate a national research and TA center. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as stated, excluding IHEs in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.
What kind of experience is ACF looking for in applicants?
ACF is looking for applicants with a strong track record in conducting high-quality research and delivering effective technical assistance specifically related to ECE workforce systems across mixed settings.
What is the activity category listed for this opportunity?
The activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
Which CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers are referenced?
The referenced CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers are 93.434, 93.575, and 93.600.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on September 12, 2022.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was November 7, 2022.
What time were electronic submissions due?
Electronic submissions were due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date.
What submission risks or system issues were flagged in the notice?
The notice highlighted (1) potential SAM.gov entity validation delays due to heavy demand and advised applicants to start registration and validation early, and (2) a period of Grants.gov downtime in late September 2022 due to a cloud migration, encouraging applicants to download the full opportunity and attachments as soon as they were posted.
Why is early SAM.gov registration and validation important for this opportunity?
The notice warns that SAM.gov entity validation can be delayed under heavy demand and that legal business name and address checks could disrupt submission timelines if applicants wait too long.
What did the notice recommend regarding Grants.gov access during the cloud migration?
It strongly encouraged applicants to download the full funding opportunity and attachments as soon as they were posted so materials would remain accessible during system outages.
What does it mean that the Center will serve the mixed-delivery system?
It means the Center is intended to support workforce strategies across a range of early childhood program types and settings, rather than serving a single program silo.
How are research and technical assistance expected to work together in this Center?
The Center is expected to generate research evidence about what works and use that evidence to directly inform and improve the technical assistance, tools, and implementation support provided to states and local partners.
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