Overview

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is pleased to announce a statewide funding opportunity for eligible Head Start programs, Joint Vocational School Districts, schools and districts to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness. While the American Rescue Plan Homeless rounds I and II have focused on providing supports to schools and districts with large populations of students experiencing homelessness, this grant supports organizations that have not received funds but can have significant impact on students experiencing homelessness. 

Through Future Forward Ohio, Ohio helps students recover from the impact of the pandemic. Future Forward Ohio has three interrelated strategies: (1) overcoming obstacles to learning, (2) accelerating learning and (3) preparing students for future success. The ARP Homeless Targeted Support Grant is an important investment in overcoming obstacles to learning.

Examples of Funding Uses

The allowable uses for this grant align with those of the American Rescue Plan Homeless grants. Grantees can work within the allowable uses to support programs and services for students experiencing homelessness. Examples of how grantees can use the funds include:

  • Providing a stipend for personnel to review enrollment procedures to reduce enrollment and attendance barriers. This stipend can also support personnel to establish relationships with local resources so that they can connect students experiencing homelessness with community partners.

  • Providing stipends for personnel to attend professional development to bolster their understanding of identifying students experiencing homelessness and understanding their unique needs.
  • Creating a mentorship program for families and students experiencing homelessness to help guide students to succeed in the future.
  • Supplementing transportation resources to transport students experiencing homelessness to and from school and school-related activities.
  • Establishing a space for students experiencing homelessness to access school supplies, clothing and other education-related needs.

For questions about if a program or resource is an allowable use, please reference the National Center for Homeless Education’s Use of Funds Tip Sheet. 

Purpose 

Grantees can use these funds to find creative solutions to meet the unique and exceptional needs of students experiencing homelessness.

The Department awarded $16,500 grants to 286 grantees to do any of the following:
  • Provide families with housing insecurity the knowledge and resources to ensure educational stability and consistency,
  • Provide for the essential, basic needs of students experiencing homelessness, and
  • Bolster existing and/or create new wrap-around services and supports.

The application involves proposing a budget and answering three questions in CCIP.

Eligible Applicants

The Department considered applicants from the following categories:

  • Head Start programs that received the Early Childhood Education Grant from the Department with access to the Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan,
  • Joint Vocational School Districts, and
  • Community schools and traditional public-school districts with the full-time equivalent of fewer than ten (10) identified students experiencing homelessness in the 2020-2021 school year reported in EMIS.

​Important Grant Dates

  • August 29, 2022: Notice of Grant Opportunity announced.
  • ​September 7, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Virtual Bidders Conference is a one-hour information session to learn more about this grant opportunity and the application process. 
  • December 30, 2022: Grant submission due date.
  • January 31, 2023: Grantees received allocations.
  • June 30, 2024: Grant obligation date.

Webinars for Grantees

Application Information

Contact

For more information or questions, contact ARPhomeless@education.ohio.gov.

Last Modified: 12/4/2023 2:36:14 PM