(1) Contingent upon specific appropriation, the department shall establish a program to award collaboration grants to assist local agencies in securing Early Head Start programs through Early Head Start program federal grants. The collaboration grants shall provide the required matching funds for public and private nonprofit agencies that have been approved for Early Head Start program federal grants.
(2) Public and private nonprofit agencies providing Early Head Start programs applying for collaborative grants must:(a) Meet the requirements in the Head Start program performance standards and other applicable rules and regulations.
(b) Collaborate with other service providers at the local level.
(c) Provide a comprehensive array of health, nutritional, and other services to the program’s pregnant women and very young children, and their families.
(3) The department may adopt rules as necessary for the award of collaboration grants to competing agencies and the administration of the collaboration grants program under this section.
