National Center on Program Management and Quality Assurance

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), has announced a forecasted funding opportunity for the National Center on Program Management and Quality Assurance (NC PMQA). This initiative aligns with the broader goals of the Head Start program, which provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. The National Center will play a pivotal role in enhancing leadership and management practices across Head Start programs nationwide, supporting a system of continuous improvement, accountability, and excellence. The primary purpose of this grant is to competitively award approximately $7,000,000 to a single recipient to manage and operate the NC PMQA. The center will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) that is research-informed and reflects current best practices. This support will aim to strengthen fiscal integrity, governance, records management, transparency, and overall program and human resource management within Head Start operations. Additionally, the NC PMQA is expected to promote workforce development and organizational leadership across all levels of participating programs. Beyond foundational training functions, the NC PMQA will be responsible for leading professional development activities across OHS’s ten regional offices. These duties include hosting regional TTA professional development meetings, facilitating national TTA collaboration sessions, and contributing to system-wide data integration efforts. The selected organization must demonstrate the capacity to deliver coordinated and consistent TTA services, ensure system alignment across states and tribal territories, and support improved outcomes for Head Start children and families. Eligible applicants include a broad range of entities such as state and local governments, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations, public housing authorities, for-profit entities (both small and other than small businesses), and school districts. Applications may be submitted individually or as part of a consortium led by a qualified primary applicant. Importantly, individuals and foreign entities are explicitly excluded from eligibility, and faith-based organizations may apply provided they meet standard eligibility criteria without discrimination based on religious affiliation. The grant is currently in a forecasted stage, with an estimated post date of October 15, 2025. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than December 15, 2025, by 11:59 PM EST. The anticipated award date is March 1, 2026, with the project slated to begin on March 2, 2026. No cost sharing or matching funds are required for this opportunity. Applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review all submission instructions when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) becomes publicly available on the ACF funding website. For more information or assistance with this opportunity, applicants can contact Elaina Parrish via email at OHSgrants@koniag-gs.com or by phone at (888) 242-0684. Additional details, including links to the NOFO and supporting documents, will be available on the Office of Head Start’s website as the application period approaches.