U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
ACF
Administration for Children and Families
Program Instruction
To: Head Start and Early Head Start Programs Impacted by Hurricane Sandy
Subject: Hurricane Sandy Emergency Relief Funds
This Program Instruction is intended to assist governing bodies and key management staff in determining the funding needed to ensure full restoration of facilities, program operations, and targeted support services to Head Start and Early Head Start children, families, and program staff impacted by Hurricane Sandy, referred to as Disaster Relief funds.
President Obama signed the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, H.R. 152 (Act), on Jan. 29, 2013. The Act provides emergency funding for recovery, relief, and resiliency efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Head Start agencies in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia may be eligible for emergency relief funds if their programs were directly impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will prioritize funding programs that sustained significant damage from the Hurricane Sandy and serve a high proportion of families displaced as a result of the storm.
Eligible Head Start agencies may only apply for funding for costs not covered by commercial or self-insurance proceeds or other emergency funds received from any local, state, federal, or private sources. Applicants must attest that funds requested will not be used for costs that are reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covered by commercial or self insurance proceeds, or from any other local, state, federal, or private sources. The Office of Head Start (OHS) will work closely with FEMA to ensure no duplication of federal funding occurs.
1Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, Section 904(c): "Funds for grants provided by this division shall be expended by the grantees within the 24-month period following the agency's obligation of funds for the grant, unless, in accordance with guidance to be issued by the Director of OMB, the Director waives this requirement for a particular grant program and submits a written justification for such waiver to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the case of such grants, the agency shall include a term in the grant that requires the grantee to return to the agency any funds not expended within the 24-month period."