Early Childhood Block Grant RFP (SFY26)
Grant Opportunity
The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund (KCCTF) announces the release of the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) funding opportunity for state fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).
Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) is intended to provide supplemental funding to fill gaps. Programs applying for this grant must demonstrate that they are investing other available financial resources and community support into their programs before requesting this funding.
The purpose of this funding is to provide high-quality early childhood care and education services for children birth to kindergarten entry and their families to meet early childhood outcomes related to Healthy Development, Early Learning, and Strong Families. Prenatal and family supports also qualify under this grant opportunity.
Goals
- Provide direct services to children at-risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally or academically unprepared for success by funding programs that are evidence-based and data-driven.
- Increase access to services in under-served communities
- Support community collaboration and public-private partnership
- Enable alignment with the All in For Kansas Kids Strategic Plan and statewide initiatives to improve access to early childhood services
- Provide supplemental funding to fill gaps not covered by other funding sources.
Target Outcomes
- At-risk young children and their families receive evidence-based services
- Children improve social, emotional, and academic skills, as measured by the Common Measures and reflected in the results of the annual evaluation
- Caregivers improve parenting skills, as measured by the Common Measures and reflected in the results of the annual evaluation
- Communities will increase capacity to provide direct early childhood services
- Communities will implement principles of the All in For Kansas Kids Strategic Plan and take part in statewide initiatives to improve access to early childhood services
Who is eligible to apply for funding?
Eligible applicants may include:
- 501© (3) organizations in Kansas
- County and city governments in Kansas
- Unified School Districts (USDs) in Kansas (not currently receiving Kansas Preschool Pilot funding from KSDE)
Applications open November 18, and will close January 8
Timeline
Release of Request for Proposal (RFP) and Application Opens: November 18, 2024
Application closes January 8, 2025, 5:00PM
Apply Using the Kansas CommonApp
Assistance
RFP questions may be submitted:
November 18, 2024 through December 30, 2024
Kansas CommonApp Help Desk available:
November 18, 2024 through January 8, 2025
Technical Assistance Webinars
Technical Assistance Webinar Recording
View this webinar to learn about the Request for Proposal and application requirements, as well as a walkthrough of the Kansas CommonApp.
Support for Families
KCCTF aims to provide ECBG funding to programs that provide preschool and research-based child development services, with a focus on at-risk children and underserved areas. Data collection, fiscal accountability, and high-quality service delivery are important tenets of the ECBG program. Applicants should be prepared to provide service delivery models that yield positive outcomes for children from birth to kindergarten entry and their families, including prenatal supports.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to keep the AIFKK needs assessment findings and strategic plan goals in mind when designing their ECBG proposal to meet the needs of their communities and the young children and families they serve.
In addition, strong proposals will include:
- Plans based on community needs and data, including those identified from any local-level needs assessments and action plan.
- A focus on outcomes for children birth to age 5 and families and plan to sustain them (prenatal services are allowed)
- Documented public-private partnerships with a community-driven, family centered approach
- A plan for improving quality and/or access to services
- A commitment to evidence-based, data-driven practices that increase equitable access to high-quality early childhood care and education services
- A budget proposal that demonstrates that they are investing other available resources and community support into their programs before requesting this funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Common Measures
For more information about the Common Measures, view this guide that describes each measure that the ECBG evaluation uses. SFY2026 Common Measures Guide (pdf)
What is the Blueprint for Early Childhood?
ECBG applications are expected to be aligned with the KCCTF Blueprint for Early Childhood.
Are we allowed to use our 501c3 Fiscal Agent to receive this grant. We used a Fiscal Agent to receive grants from a private foundation and Child Care Aware.
You can partner with a 501(c)(3) organization as the fiscal agent. Assuming the fiscal agent would funnel ECBG funds to your organization, your organization would then be listed as a funded partner on the “Partnerships” tab of the application. Any partnership being applied (whether they are funded or non-funded partners) will need to have a collaborative agreement signed by both parties and uploaded to the “Partnerships” tab of the application.
On the profile page in the Common App it asks for a Form 990. Is this a required document? It does say "Optional", but I just wanted to double check.
If you are a 501(c)(3), then you will need to submit a Form 990. This is something you submit to the IRS, so hopefully already have one on file to upload.
Do Lived Experts Partners require a Partner Assurances Form?
No, only funded and non-funded partners.
What type of information would we need to put into DAISEY? Would we need to put personal information like names, etc. or are you wanting information without personal information?
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If funded, you will be required to enter personal information in DAISEY for our evaluation team to calculate risk for the program. |
As we address the needs/gaps sections, should we identify ALL services available to children -- or only as they apply to our programming? For instance, we are looking specifically at the pre-K age (3-5) for services. I was planning to only include services for that age group in our needs/gaps content. However, should I expand that and give a comprehensive explanation of ALL services offered to children birth to age 5 in our application?
If you are only applying for funding for a program that will serve 3-5 year olds, than that is what all aspects of your application should focus on.
On the budget for the short description for salaries. If we have multiple people in a position (i.e., 8 Lead Teachers, 8 Assistant Teachers, etc.), do we need to list each individual staff member by name, or may we list the number of FTE for that position and then the justification?
We are not asking for FTE this year as we have in the past. Therefore, we are asking for percentage of their time spent doing ECBG activities and asking for each individual to be on their own separate line in the budget. This will provide clarity to the reviewers when they are reviewing and allow for the justification to be specific for each person.
This Blueprint document outlines the state’s three impact areas which align with the outcomes for this grant.
How do we document cash match that will be raised during the grant year?
You can input it as pending and when you plan to have all funds received. If its continuous fund raising, than you can put 6-30-26 as the date expected to receive and just put “continuous fundraising” as the brief description.
What are the ECBG Program Types?
View this guide to find a more in-depth desription of the program types that ECBG supports.
Where can I learn more about 1-800-CHILDREN
ECBG grantees are required to keep up to date their 1-800-CHILDREN Resource Directory listing and partner organization listings here. The exception would be child care providers that are already listed in the Child Care Aware Child Care Resource & Referral Services; child care providers are only required to keep up-to date a listing in one resource.
Is this available to home child care providers?
Anyone that meets the eligibility criteria on page 5 of the RFP is eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include:
- 501(c)(3) organizations in Kansas
- County or city governments in Kansas
- Unified School Districts (USDs) in Kansas
If the school district does not apply for KPP do they still need to do a budget?
Yes, because they still need to demonstrate that the ECBG funding is only fulfilling gaps and not overlapping with state foundation aid, etc. funding available through the school finance formula.
Who is eligible to purchase PSI assessments from the Pearson company so we can budget for those assessments?
Qual: B
- A degree from an accredited four-year college or university in psychology or a counseling-related field, plus completion of coursework in test interpretation, psychometrics and measurement theory, educational statistics, or a closely related area;
- OR license or certification from an agency/ organization that requires appropriate training and experience in the ethical and competent use of psychological tests.
Qual: S
- A degree, certificate, or license to practice in a physical or mental health care profession or occupation, plus training and experience in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical behavioral assessment instruments.
Can you explain the Match requirement of the ECBG program?
There is a required 15% Match requirement to qualify for ECBG funds. You must show on the Budget Template (MS Excel), and explain on the Budget tab of the application, that for the ECBG funds you are requesting that you can match 15% of that total with either Cash or In-Kind (donations, etc.) funds from sources besides other state or federal funds.
- The 15% can be all Cash, but at minimum 5% of the match must be cash.
- Only 10% of the 15% Match can be In-Kind
- If you are matching more than 15%, than your In-Kind can be more if the Cash is at least 5%.
What type of information would we need to put into DAISEY? Would we need to put personal information like names, etc... or are you wanting info without personal information?
If funded, you will be required to enter personal information in DAISEY for our evaluation team to calculate risk for the program.
- DAISEY is the data collection system used to report child & family risk factors as well as all ECBG common measure assessments for children & families served with ECBG funds.
- You can find the current questions asked to calculate Risk Factors on the “Find Answers” page of the DAISEY solutions website under ECBG Printable Forms (along with other forms, etc.):
- https://kcctf.daiseysolutions.org/find-answers/
- Caregiver Intake Form (the fields with an asterisk “*” are required – all others are optional)
- Child Intake Form (the fields with an asterisk “*” are required – all others are optional)
- For more information about DAISEY, please feel free to peruse the DAISEY Solutions website: https://kcctf.daiseysolutions.org/
In the section "Home Visiting Program(s) Information, are you asking for the minimum and maximum per client, or actually per program (so the numbers we propose to serve)? Do you mean per quarter? Per month? Per year?
This should be per client.
Would any/all licensed childcare provider we collaborate with be required to be a DCF child care assistance provider?
No, they do not need to be a DCF child care assistance provider.
Do each individual program budgets need to have meet the 15% match requirement or just the total budget?
The validations on the individual program tabs are there as a courtesy. If the validations are met for the whole budget (Total ECBG Budget tab), then you should be good.
SFY26 ECBG Request for Proposals (pdf)
SFY26 ECBG Budget Worksheet (MS Excel download) – if you require accessibility accommodation assistance with this file, please utilize the TA Request Form
Collaborative Agreement Template (PDF) – Collaborative Agreement template that is required to be used between applying organization and any partner organizations as listed on the “Partnerships” tab of the application.
- USD’s ONLY – SFY26 Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) Budget Template (MS Excel Download)
- Any grantee that is using ECBG funds to support a PreK program within a USD must upload the USD’s KPP Budget to application.
- KPP Budget User’s Guide (PDF): guidance on how to use the KPP Budget provided by KSDE.
- KPP Webinar Slides (PDF): slides that go over the KPP grant. Slides 19-22 go over the KPP Budget file.