Saturday, December 21, 2024
12/21/2024
<p>Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) is seeking an $800,000 award for the construction of</p><p>an Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) in Charlottesville, Virginia that will create 41</p><p>full-time jobs at a cost of $19,512 per job. The year round jobs will pay a minimum of $15 an</p><p>hour, with benefits; and provide advancement through credentials and professional development.</p><p>The ECEC will be located at the Friendship Court (FC) redevelopment, a 150 unit,</p><p>multi-family Section 8 housing complex located in a severely economically distressed</p><p>neighborhood. The poverty rate for this census tract is 25.71%, compared to the state rate of</p><p>10.95%. The census block where the ECEC will be located shows a 10.11% unemployment rate,</p><p>compared to the state unemployment rate of 2.8%, indicating a need for local, well-paying jobs.</p><p>During the FC planning phase led by PHA, significant input from residents and other</p><p>stakeholders revealed the need for an early learning center that would address several barriers to</p><p>self-sustainability. First, the ECEC will provide high-quality childcare and preschool education</p><p>that will allow parents and caregivers to pursue employment and education opportunities.</p><p>Second, it will break the cycle of generational poverty by providing children with every</p><p>opportunity for educational success through an innovative curriculum focused on skills needed</p><p>for later learning as well as academic skills for kindergarten and beyond. PHA has formed a</p><p>partnership with the Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA), the regional Head</p><p>Start provider, to manage the ECEC once construction is complete. There are 90+ children aged</p><p>birth to five living at Friendship Court and the investment in these children's economic future is</p><p>projected to have a significant economic return in decreased public spending and increased</p><p>earnings as the children enter the workforce in the future. Another innovative approach will be</p><p>the use of a mixed-delivery model, where children from multiple funding streams, including</p><p>Head Start, will learn together in the same classroom.</p><p>Ultimately, the plan for the ECEC responds to community needs on many levels, as well</p><p>as the state of Virginia's priority for school readiness to improve educational outcomes. PHA has</p><p>marshaled resources from across Charlottesville to create a state of the art early learning facility</p><p>that also creates well-paying local jobs, and will spur additional economic development. All 41</p><p>jobs will be located at the ECEC once construction is complete and the center begins enrollment.</p><p>The jobs include over 30 teaching jobs that will require a credential at no-cost for job seekers</p><p>and potential barriers will be mitigated by individualized resources provided by Network2Work,</p><p>PHA's partner for job participant support.</p><p>Financing for the $5.7 million project will<span> </span></p>
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).