Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grant Application Overview

202223 Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grant Request for Applications Technical Assistance Webinar Presented by the Special Education Division on January 20, 2023 CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Overview and Questions The Family Empowerment Centers on Disability (FECs) Grant Request for Applications (RFA) can be found on the California Department of Education (CDE) web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r18/fecexp22rfa.asp. If you have questions regarding the 2022 23 FEC Grant RFA, please submit them through the webinar chat function. Questions that are not answered today, will be emailed next week and a copy of this presentation will be uploaded onto the aforementioned CDE FEC Grant RFA web page. Additional questions regarding this webinar or the RFA can be emailed to the CDE at PPL@cde.ca.gov with 2022 FEC RFA Questions for the subject line. 2

I. Background FECs were established through Senate Bill 511, then enacted as California Education Code (EC) 56400-56414 in 2001. In June 2021, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 130, the Education Finance Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill (Chapter 44, Statutes of 2021), which amended EC Section 56400 56415. oThis legislation augmented funding for current FECs and supported the establishment of additional FECs in regions established by the Early Start Family Resource Centers (FRCs) that currently do not have an FEC pursuant to EC Section 56402(b)(1). In June 2022, AB 178 Budget Act of 2022 (Chapter 45, Statutes of 2022) passed and provided additional funding to the CDE to conclude the FEC expansion. 3

II. Program Purpose and Goals EC 56402(b)(2), the Superintendent shall give priority to applicants that are able to ensure continuity of support for families transitioning from services under Part C to Part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.), either because the applicant operates a program of family support for parents of children with disabilities up to three years of age, or the applicant works in close partnership with an organization that does so, and shall take into consideration the capacity of applicants to carry out the activities specified in EC Section 56408. The CDE shall also give positive consideration to grant applicants proposing to establish new FECs that serve regions with high concentrations of pupils who qualify for free or reduced-price meals as indicated in EC Section 56406(c). 4

III. Funding Available (1) In 2021, the State Budget Act provided additional funds to increase base funding and per pupil rate for the then existing fourteen FECs, and to establish new FECs across the state in regions where there were none. In 2022, the State Budget Act provided additional funds to continue establishing FECs in the remaining five regions that do not possess a center. Only one center may be established in each of the regions that do not currently have an FEC. EC 56406(b)(1) Establishes a minimum base rate of $246,000 for each center to provide the basic services pursuant to this chapter and serve parents and families of children and young adults 3 18 years of age, inclusive, and young adults 19 22 years of age, inclusive, who had an individualized education program (IEP) before their 18th birthday. Establishes an allocation mechanism that is determined according to school enrollment for the region served. EC 56406(b)(2). 5

III. Funding Available (2) This RFA covers the grant period beginning November 1, 2022 (Year One), to June 30, 2023, and July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024 (Year Two). Grant awards will be determined based on each scored application and proposed budget submitted. Grant awards issued thereafter are made contingent upon the availability of annual funds. If the California Legislature takes action to reduce or defer the annual funding upon which this grant award is based, then awards will be amended accordingly. The CDE will conduct fiscal and program assessments pursuant to EC 56408(b)(1) and (2) to assess each center s eligibility for continued funding. Funding will continue past the initial year and each applicant awarded the grant will submit an annual application form and budget to indicate continuation in the grant program. 6

III. Funding Available (3) Per EC Section 56406(c), the Department shall give positive consideration to applicants proposing to establish new FECs to serve regions that have high concentrations of pupils who qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Appendix III, Positive Consideration Factor, includes a table with eligible counties or regions with high concentrations of pupils and the corresponding percentages for each county or region. The data used to create the positive consideration table in Appendix III is from the 2021 22 Unduplicated Student Count Free or Reduced-Price Meal CDE database which can be accessed on the CDE Free or Reduced-Price Meal (Student Poverty) Data web page at: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/ad/filessp.asp. 7

IV. Eligibility Requirements (1) Only grant applicants that propose to establish a new FEC within the regions of the state established under the Early Start FRCs that are not currently served by an existing FEC are eligible to apply for funding pursuant to EC Section 56402(b)(1). Applicants who do not propose to establish a new center in the region for services will be ineligible for funding. An existing FEC who chooses to apply for this grant in order to open a new center in a neighboring region that currently does not have one is eligible for the funding that is established through the allocation per EC Section 56406(b). Review Appendix I, Eligible Regions for Family Empowerment Center, to determine which California counties are not currently supported by an existing FEC. 8

IV. Eligibility Requirements (2) To be eligible to receive grant funds, applicants must meet the following requirements per EC Section 56404: (a) Be a nonprofit charitable organization organized under the Internal Revenue Code pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 501 of Title 26 of the United States Code. (b) Assure that the center will be staffed primarily by parents, guardians, and family members of children and young adults with disabilities and by adults with disabilities. 9

IV. Eligibility Requirements (3) To be eligible to receive grant funds, applicants must meet the following requirements per EC Section 56404: (c) Assure that a majority of board members for each center will include parents, guardians, and family members of children and young adults with disabilities who have experience with local or regional disability systems and educational resources. Additional members shall include, but not be limited to, persons with disabilities and representatives of community agencies serving adults with disabilities, and other community agencies. (d) Demonstrate the capacity to provide services in accordance with the family support guidelines developed by the Early Start FRCs pursuant to Section 95004 of the Government Code and administered by the State Department of Developmental Services, and Parent Training and Information Centers established pursuant to Sections 1482 and 1483 of Title 20 of the United States Code. 10

V. Project Requirements In accordance with EC Section 56408(a), each grant applicant shall serve the parents and families of children three to eighteen years of age, inclusive, and young adults nineteen to twenty-two years of age, inclusive, who had an IEP before their eighteenth birthday in the proposed region. Section V of the RFA identifies the knowledge and expertise all applicants must demonstrate in accordance with EC Section 56406(d) and details the services each applicant must provide in accordance with EC Section 56408(a) as a condition of funding. Ongoing communication, collaboration, and partnership with the CDE and other FECs is integral. Applicants must attend and participate in regular meetings such as the Family Empowerment and Disability Council (FEDC) convened by the CDE and the Seeds of Partnership project in accordance with EC Section 56410. For more information on the FEDC, review Appendix V. 11

VI. Administrative Requirements Required Forms Specific grant assurances for the FEC RFA are included and must be submitted as part of the application. The FEC RFA grant assurances can be found in Form C: Family Empowerment Center on Disability Statement of Assurance. Reporting As a condition of grant funding, applicants must collect and submit data annually to the CDE 30 days after the end of the fiscal year, in accordance with the data template established by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of EC Section 56411 and are detailed within Section VI of the RFA. Reporting and data collection will also include additional data requirements as authorized by EC Section 56408. Grant Award Notification, Payments and Indirect Cost Rate Selected grantees must sign and return the Grant Award Notification (GAN) before work may begin and disbursement of funds can be made. Grant payments are issued up to the reported expenditures. Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) is 10 percent. 12

Submitting Form A: Intent to Submit an Application for the Family Empowerment Center on Disability Grant Applications will not be accepted if the applicant organization has not submitted this form by the required deadline. This form will be submitted, by the lead applicant contact, to the CDE, Special Education Division, by email at PPL@cde.ca.gov, by 5 p.m., on January 27, 2023. Use 2022 FEC Grant Intent to Submit Application for the subject line and an email confirmation will be sent by the CDE to the lead applicant contact within 24 hours. Access this form at the CDE FEC Grant RFA Form A web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r18/documents/fec22a-intent.pdf 13

VII. Selection Process All applications will be screened to ensure the components as described in Section IX, Application Format and Submission Requirements, and Section X, Application Checklist, of the RFA are met as part of the application submission. Only fully completed applications will be considered eligible to be read and scored by trained readers per the rubric found in Appendix IV of the RFA. Points will be awarded based on completeness and responsiveness of the application to each of the required application components. The number of grant awards will be based on the number of eligible applications and the amount of available funding. In the event that multiple applications are received for a region, the application that receives the higher score will be awarded the grant. Final approval of grant awards for successful applications will be decided by the CDE Special Education Division. 14

VIII. Application Narrative, Budget, and Appendix (1) Section A. Form B: Application Face Page [not scored] oThe 30-page limit does not apply to Form B: Application Face Page Section B. FEC Program Design [30 points] Section C. Continuity of Support for Families Transitioning from Services under Part C to Part B [10 points] Section D. Positive Consideration Factor [5 points] Section E. Community Partnerships [20 points] oThe 30-page limit does not apply to the Letters of Support which will instead be placed in the Appendix and scored separately. 15

VIII. Application Narrative, Budget, and Appendix (2) Section F. Form D: Project Work Plan [10 points] oThe 30-page limit does not apply to Form D: Project Work Plan Section G. Organizational Plan and Project Staffing [10 points] oThe 30-page limit requirement does not apply to the resum s, curriculum vitae, and/or proposed position descriptions that are required of subsection G.2. Section H. Data Collection and Program Monitoring [10 points] Section I. Budget Grant Expenditures: Form E: Budget (1), and the Budget Narrative (2) [10 points] oThe 30-page limit requirement does not apply to Form E, Budget, or to the Budget Narrative. 16

VIII. Application Narrative, Budget, and Appendix (3) Appendix oCopy of the applicant agency s Internal Review Service Declaration Letter, that documents 501(c)(3) status oLetters of Support from community partner organizations and individuals oResumes, curriculum vitae, and/or proposed position descriptions of key project personnel The 30-page limit requirement does not apply to documents within the Appendix. 17

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (1) Interested applicants must submit Form A: Intent to Submit an Application for the FEC Grant to the CDE, Special Education Division by email at PPL@cde.ca.gov by 5 p.m. on January 27, 2023. Use 2022 FEC Grant Intent to Submit an Application for the subject line and an email confirmation from the CDE will be sent within 24 hours. If applying for more than one region, a separate Form A: Intent to Submit an Application for the FEC Grant and an entire application package must be submitted for each region of which an applicant is applying. An application will not be accepted if the applicant organization has not submitted the Form A by the required deadline. The person who submits Form A will be the main contact person on behalf of their organization s application and will be referred hereto as the lead applicant contact. 18

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (2) The formatting and page limit requirements will be carefully evaluated, and applications that do not adhere to these requirements may be disqualified from review: Format: Applications can be submitted in Portable Document Format (PDF) or as a Microsoft Word document Font/Size: Applications must be typed in Arial or Times New Roman font and in 12-point font size Sequence: Applications must follow the alphabetical sequencing as outlined in this RFA. Review Section X, Application Checklist, for reference. Numbering: All pages beginning with the Section A, Form B: Application Face Page, must be numbered sequentially. This includes all forms, narrative sections, documentation, and the appendix documents Page limit requirement/Margins/Spacing: The application narrative is limited to 30 double-spaced pages formatted to 1 margins. 19

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (3) The 30-page limit requirement does not apply to the following sections and documents: oSection A. Form B: Application Face Page oLetters of Support from Section E, Community Partnerships oSection F. Form D: Project Work Plan oResum s, curriculum vitae, and/or proposed position descriptions in the appendix of the completed application from Subsection G.2, Organizational Plan and Project Staffing oSection I. Budget Grant Expenditures: Form E: Budget (1), and the Budget Narrative (2) oAny other documents required in the Appendix. Review Section VIII, Appendix, for reference. 20

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (4) All application packages can be submitted via two methods: 1) Submit in hard-copy format postmarked no later than 5 p.m. on February 17, 2023, to the following address: Programs and Partnerships Unit ATT: 2022 FEC RFA Grant Special Education Division California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Suite 2401 Sacramento, CA 95814-5901 2) Submit as a PDF or Microsoft Word document, via email, to PPL@cde.ca.gov by 5 p.m. on February 17, 2023. Use 2022 FEC RFA Grant for the subject line. 21

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (5) The lead applicant contact will receive an email confirmation of the information submitted within 24 hours. If changes need to be made, the lead applicant contact can resubmit the entire application prior to the submission deadline. The last submitted application will be the one considered for review. The CDE is not able to modify the application information after it is submitted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. 22

X. Application Checklist Section A. Form B: Application Face Page Section B. Family Empowerment Center on Disability Program Design Section C. Continuity of Support for Families Transitioning from Services under Part C to Part B Section D. Positive Consideration Section E. Community Partnerships Section F. Form D: Project Work Plan Section G. Organizational Plan and Project Staffing Section H. Data Collection and Program Monitoring Section I. Budget Grant Expenditures: Form E: Budget (1), and the Budget Narrative (2) Appendix 23

XI. Timeline Activity Important Date Request for Applications (RFA) Released January 13, 2023 RFA Technical Assistance Webinar January 20, 2023 Deadline for Applicants to Submit Notice of Intent to Submit Application (Form A) January 27, 2023, by 5 p.m. February 17, 2023, by 5 p.m. Deadline for Applicants to Submit Applications CDE Reviewers Evaluate and Score All Eligible Applications March 1 10, 2023 Posting of Intent to Award April 3, 2023 Deadline for Applicants to Submit Appeal April 14, 2023, by 5 p.m. Grant Award Notifications Mailed to Grantees May 5, 2023 24

Frequently Asked Questions (1) 1. Is there just one application window? Yes, there is only one application window from January 13, 2023, through February 17, 2023. The activity and important due dates can be found in Section XI, Timeline, of the FEC RFA 2. Will all of the readers scoring the completed grant applications be from CDE? Readers will be selected by the CDE and trained to score per the rubric found in Appendix IV of the FEC RFA. More information can be found in Section VII, Selection Process. 25

Frequently Asked Questions (2) 3. If my region(s) already has a FEC in place, can I still apply to open a new FEC in this region? If your region already has an FEC, you cannot apply to establish another one in the same region. It is the intent of the legislature is to establish new FECs in areas or regions where there is none. More information can be found in Section IV, Eligibility Requirements, of the FEC RFA. 4. Are county offices of education, school districts, or Special Education Local Plan Areas able to apply? No, only nonprofit charitable organizations are eligible to apply as stipulated in EC Section 56404 and under Section IV, Eligibility Requirements, of the FEC RFA. Districts are not eligible to apply but can support with a potential applicant to submit letters of support as part of the application. 26

Frequently Asked Questions (3) 5. Would the FECs pertain only to ages 0 3, given the priority of Early Start areas unrepresented? No, the FECs serve parents and families of children ages 3 18 years of age, inclusive, and young adults 19 22 years of age inclusive who had an IEP before their eighteenth birthday. FECs provide supports to families of children transitioning from Early Start to Part B special education programs. Refer to Section V, Project Requirements, of the RFA and EC Section 56408(a) that pertains to potential eligible applicants. 6. What are the page limits and what sections do they relate to? The detailed information on page limits and which sections they relate to can be found in the following sections of the FEC RFA: Section VIII, Application Narrative, Budget, and Appendix; Section IX, Application Format and Submission Requirements; and Section X, Application Checklist. 27

Frequently Asked Questions (4) 7. In Form D, Project Work Plan, are we allowed to include activities that would not necessarily be funded by FEC monies but would support FEC work in support of families with children between ages 3 and 22? If you would like to include this additional information as part of your plan, then make sure that you clearly differentiate between activities that will be provided as part of the FEC grant and activities that will not be funded by the grant. 8. If awarded this grant, is there additional funding for the FECs after the initial award year? The CDE will conduct fiscal and program assessments pursuant to EC Section 56408(b)(1) and (2) to assess each center s eligibility for continued funding. Funding will continue past the initial year and each applicant awarded the grant will submit an annual application form and budget to indicate continuation in the grant program. Additionally, since grant amounts consist of the base rate of $246,000 per center and a mechanism that is based on the school enrollment of that region, final grant award amounts may be annually adjusted. 28

Frequently Asked Questions (5) 9. For applicants who do not have a designated staff for this project yet, will points be deducted for not having resumes? If staffing is not available for the proposed applicant, then the applicant can indicate to be determined and provide a job description that details the required duties and responsibilities of each proposed position. This information can be found in the FEC RFA in Section VIII. Application Narrative and Budget, under subsection G. Organizational Plan and Project Staffing. In order to see how these two sections of the application will be awarded points, refer to Appendix IV: Evaluation and Scoring Rubric. 29

Next Steps Interested applicants must submit Form A: Intent to Submit an Application for the FEC Grant to the CDE Special Education Division by email at PPL@cde.ca.gov by 5 p.m. on January 27, 2023. Use 2022 FEC Grant Intent to Submit an Application for the subject line and an email confirmation from the CDE will be sent within 24 hours. Review SectionXI. Timeline of the RFA in order to adhere to all required deadlines. Refer to SectionIX. Application Format and Submission Requirements and to Section X. Application Checklist of the RFA before submitting your application. This presentation will be available on the CDE FEC Grant RFA web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r18/fecexp22rfa.asp and questions that were not answered in today s webinar will be emailed next week. Additional questions regarding this webinar or the RFA can be emailed to the CDE at PPL@cde.ca.gov with 2022 FEC RFA Questions for the subject line. 30

Thank you for your time and good luck! 31