American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Early Learning Mentor Coaches

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The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), announces the availability of grants under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5). Approximately twenty five million dollars for a project period of eighteen months is to be competitively awarded to current Head Start and Early Head Start agencies for Early Learning Resource Coaches. Up to one hundred and twenty-five grants will be awarded to local Head Start and Early Head Start grantees. The funds will be used to pay resource coaches who will provide on-the-job guidance, technical assistance and training to teachers, home visitors and family child care providers who work in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The overall goal of the resource coaches will be to improve the qualifications and training of teaching staff; assist grantees to promote positive, sustained outcomes for children; and, promote career development in Head Start grantees.As one component of the Office of Head Start's larger Training and Technical Assistance System, the coaching provided by these individuals will be guided by the Office of Head Start and the National Centers. It is anticipated that the work of the coaches will include topics such as ongoing child assessment and its connection to teaching and learning; curriculum implementation; strategies for improving teacher child interactions; and, effective strategies for working with culturally, linguistically, developmentally and age diverse groups of children.The due date for this funding announcement has been changed to July 19, 2010.

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