NOTICES
Availability of Title V Funds through Mini-Grants to Support Presentations about Building Inclusive Communities for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
[35 Pa.B. 2962] The Bureau of Family Health (Bureau) is accepting mini-grant applications to promote the building of inclusive communities. Mini-grants are available to support innovative, interactive educational events (for example, presentations, conference sessions, skits, trainings, forums, work shops, and the like) that will enhance community resources to promote inclusion of children and youth with special health care needs into everyday activities. For purposes of this funding opportunity, ''children and youth with special health care needs'' are defined as those aged birth to 21 years of age who have or are at risk of developing a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition requiring services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.
The degree to which communities are healthy can be partly gauged by the degree to which children and youth with special health care needs are provided supports to contribute and be a part of the community. These children and youth are often segregated and not offered full access to community, recreational, spiritual, social and educational life. The Building Inclusive Communities mini-grant program attempts to address this issue by providing financial support for innovative educational initiatives designed to expand the knowledge and awareness of communities in this Commonwealth as it relates to the needs of this population. The ultimate goal of the program is to build social capital and, consequently, allow for the full integration of children and youth of this Commonwealth with special health care needs into all aspects of community life. The mini-grants provide funding for events occurring prior to June 30, 2006.
Target audiences may include:
* Day care centers and child care providers
* Educational providers
* Community planners
* Community groups/civic clubs
* Potential employers/businesses
* Professional associations/organizations
* Voting/polling providers
* Park/forest/camp ground staff
* Retailers
* Policy makers
* Medical/dental providers
* Youth groups
* Places of worship/congregations
* Entertainment/recreation/play providers
* Families/relatives of children with special health care needs
* Travel/tourism providers
* Bankers/lenders
* Minority groups
Eligible applicants are public and private organizations, foundations or community-based agencies in this Commonwealth as recognized by Federal Tax ID number. For-profit entities may not apply. Individuals in informal groups without Federal Tax ID numbers are encouraged to partner with a sponsor organization that may apply on behalf of the group. Conference facilities must meet current Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.
To apply for funding, a complete application must be received by the Department of Health (Department) at least 45 days prior to the date of the proposed educational event. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2006.
Funding decisions are contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2005--2006 funds and Department approval. Completed applications will be scored against a common set of criteria in the order that they are received by a proposal review panel. Applications achieving a minimum score of 7.5 on a 10 point rating scale will be awarded funding as funds remain available. Applicants will be notified of approval/disapproval in writing within 30 days of receipt of a completed application. Applicants not selected for funding will be notified and may revise their application once to conform to the guidelines for reconsideration. It is anticipated that 17 to 20 awards of $3,000 or less will be made. This is a reimbursement program. Grantees must spend their own funds first and then be reimbursed by the Department.
Applicants may apply for funding to cover multiple presentations. However, the maximum cumulative award to any one applicant (as identified by Federal Tax ID number) is $3,000 per fiscal year or for any one event when combined with any funding awards received through the Bureau's Barrier Elimination Project for the same fiscal year. Department funds should be used as payer of last resort. Grant funds may not be used to supplant existing funds. Applicant requesting partial funding of an event must provide assurances that balance of funds have been secured. Expenses eligible for reimbursement under this mini-grant include:
1. Speaker fees/honoraria
2. Speaker travel costs to and from event (for example, airfare, train, automobile mileage, tolls, parking, and the like)
3. Speaker's lodging and subsistence
4. Handout/resource material development/duplication
5. Event promotion/media
6. Audio-visual equipment rental/supplies
7. Room rental costs
8. Training supplies
Application materials can be downloaded from the Department's website: www.health.state.pa.us (Search: Inclusion). Individuals can also request application materials or additional information related to this initiative by contacting Wanda Godar, Bureau of Family Health, Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach, P. O. Box 90, 7th Floor East, Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17108, (717) 783-6536, wgodar@state.pa.us, for speech and/or hearing impaired persons V/TT (717) 783-6154 or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service, (800) 634-5984 (TT). Persons with a disability desiring an application in alternative formats should contact Wanda Godar.
CALVIN B. JOHNSON, M.D., M.P.H.,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-954. Filed for public inspection May 13, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
