FY27 CAR Specialized Care and Early Education Program

The FY27 CAR Specialized Care and Early Education Program is a grant opportunity provided by the Department of Children and Family Services. The program aims to deliver age-appropriate early education, developmental screenings, on-site health services, therapeutic supports, nutritious meals, and specialized evidence-based curriculum to children with medical, developmental, or behavioral issues. The provider will also offer family advocacy and support services, mental health assessment, referral, and therapy intervention, and parent leadership and engagement activities. The program will serve low-income, at-risk children between the ages of six weeks and kindergarten. Some key requirements for the provider include maintaining a staff-to-child ratio of 1:4 in infant/toddler rooms and 1:8 in preschool rooms, and obtaining prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters. The program has specific staffing qualifications, including a lead teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a minimum of three years of professional experience. The program also has specific requirements for the child and family nurse, program manager, education coordinator, and executive director. • The program will provide services to increase access to early childhood education, healthcare, and family strengthening support services. • The program will deliver high-quality early education programs, on-site health services, family advocacy and support services, mental health assessment, referral, and therapy intervention. • The program will offer parent leadership and engagement activities, including parent-teacher conferences, home visits, and parent skills training. • The program will provide nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack options to children in the program daily. • The program will have a client capacity of 10 under the DCFS agreement and 88 under the program, with an average length of services of 24-36 months.