[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 186 (Monday, September 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 57708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-21547]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Deviation From Competition to Extend the 5-Year Cooperative 
Agreement Between the Head Start Bureau and the National Center for 
Family Literacy

AGENCY: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, ACF, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The five-year Cooperative Agreement between the Head Start 
Bureau and the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) expires 
September 28, 2004. The Head Start Act contains language requiring the 
Department of Health and Human Services to make available every year, 
at least $3,000,000 to ensure that local Head Start programs receive 
training and technical assistance to help them provide high quality 
family literacy services. If the current Cooperative Agreement expires, 
the Department can not comply with the requirements of the Act. The 
Head Start Bureau intends to extend the current Cooperative Agreement 
with the National Center for Family Literacy for a period of one year 
(September 29, 2004-September 28, 2005), at a funding level of 
$3,000,000.
    The National Center for Family Literacy has been providing training 
and technical assistance to Head Start programs for the past five 
years. They have trained Head Start Family Literacy teams, consisting 
of administrators, supervisors and front line staff: those who deal 
with parents and children, and those who are responsible for 
distribution of resources within the programs. The training focuses on 
the areas of child development, parent education, helping programs to 
engage parents in working with their children, and adult education, and 
conducting them with sufficient intensity and duration to ensure 
positive outcomes. In addition, NCFL trainers provide on-site technical 
assistance to help programs implement family literacy services in their 
specific communities.
    The NCFL has already developed training and technical assistance 
materials and protocols specifically designed to support Head Start 
programs as they implement family literacy services. Extending this 
cooperative agreement maintains the provision of training and technical 
assistance to local programs. Local programs would continue to receive 
services, and the Head Start Bureau would be assured that the full 
amount of money identified to provide support for family literacy 
services for this year would be spent in providing these services, 
rather than in developing materials and protocols.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Willa Siegel, Head Start Bureau, 330 C 
Street, SW., Washington, DC, (202) 205-4011.

    Dated: September 12, 2004.
Frank Fuentes,
Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 04-21547 Filed 9-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P