In May 2017, the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) funded three cooperative agreements, under HHS-2017-ACF-OPRE-YE-1217 (Child Care and Development Block Grant Implementation Research and Evaluation Planning Grants:
Phase I/Cohort 2), for 18-months to Child Care and Development Fund
(CCDF) Lead Agencies.
Those grants provided funding for Lead Agencies to develop a research-based evaluation plan of the implementation of policies and initiatives in response to the goals of the CCDBG Act of 201 4. Under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), all grantees awarded planning grants (Phase I/Cohort 2) could be funded to implement their research plan (up to three awards may be made).
Awards will be on a competitive basis according to the evaluation criteria in the FOA.
During the period of this grant, CCDF Lead Agencies will refine their research and evaluation plan with their research partners (either within their organization or with an outside partner) and implement their research project.
Grantees are also expected to clearly document the policies of interest that will be evaluated, document how they will measure the policy implementation or change in response to the goals of the CCDBG Act of 2014, and articulate how these findings will be used in future policy and planning decisions.
These awards will be for a 48-month project period with four 12-month budget periods.