NOTICE TO OHS ON NFS WAIVER 22-23.PDF
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Human Services 234 N. Central Ave., Suite 3000 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 P: 602.506.0172 F: 602.506.8789 Andrea Harvey Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Office of Head Start 90 7th Street, 9th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103 February 24, 2023 Award No. 09CH012079 Dear Program Specialists, Non-Federal Share is a statutory requirement of the Head Start Act in section 640(b). As stated in the Act, a grantee agency must provide 20 percent of the total costs of the Head Start program through a Non-Federal match unless a waiver is granted. The Maricopa County Head Start program has successfully collected $830,650 of the required $4,941,192 and projects to collect a total of $1,269,125 by June 30, 2023, of Non-Federal Share. MCHSD is respectfully s requesting a waiver as follows: • Head Start and Early Head Start Reduction/Waiver of 75% of the NFS in the amount of $3,672,067 for the funding period of July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023. The following relevant circumstances, as outlined in the Head Start Act Section 640(b), have affected the program's ability to collect the required full amount. • The Head Start agency is located in a community adversely affected by a major disaster During FY 22-23, the state of Arizona and Maricopa County continued to experience critical workforce shortages due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic Human Services 234 N. Central Ave., Suite 3000 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 P: 602.506.0172 F: 602.506.8789 exacerbated challenges in the early care and education (ECE) sector, including pre-existing state-level shortages of qualified educators and the overall lack of access to high-quality care among low-income communities. In response to local workforce shortages, Maricopa County increased staff wages, extended hiring incentives, and expanded its robust recruitment campaigns for children and educators. In addition, the program collaborated with local high schools and institutions of higher education to expand awareness of its employment opportunities. However, due to the competitive climate and overall lack of educators, the program struggled to fill teaching positions, creating barriers toward full enrollment that directly impacted the program's ability to generate volunteer hours. The program will continue to track and monitor progress toward meeting the NFS requirement and adjust as needed through alternative strategies. This waiver request and accompanying budget revision documentation was approved by the governing bodies, as reflected in the approval statement. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the NFS waiver, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Eve Del Real, M.Ed. Assistant Director, Maricopa County Human Services