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2012 CACFP NPA Conference / April 11, 2012 Mary Starboard, Nutrition Coordinator Nutrition, Education & Outreach Section Texas Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition. Successful Grant Writing Strategies - Texas. Applying is a good thing!. Why? Supplements resources available
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2012 CACFP NPA Conference / April 11, 2012 Mary Starboard, Nutrition Coordinator Nutrition, Education & Outreach Section Texas Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Successful Grant Writing Strategies - Texas
Applying is a good thing! • Why? • Supplements resources available • Increases, expands reach, number, quality of services offered • Raises the level of skill of employees • Addresses provider needs • Innovative projects • Positive Health Impact
Child Care Wellness Grant – Step 1: Build Your Grant Team • Match/ assign grant review, research, and writing/development duties with the appropriate staff and agency area(s) • Director for Nutrition, Education & Outreach (Lindsay Rodgers) • Nutrition Specialist for CACFP (Linda Simmons) • Nutrition Coordinator (Mary Starboard) • Others
Step 2: Read and review the RFA • Read, read again, review and re-read • Main outcomes • Sections and arrangement • Criteria and design elements • Budget
Step 3: Research, meet & discuss • Research, meet & discuss findings regularly • Approaches/initiatives that are supported, tested, new • Policies, professional, scientific statements, findings, reports • Agency infrastructure, staff, policies, processes • Research and discuss what will make proposal unique • Includes Texas’ specific information, history, trends, etc. • Addresses Texas’ specific issues
Step 4: Design and defend • Texas’ Child Care Wellness Project Design
Step 4: Designing and defending Farm-to-Child Care • Why Farm to Child Care? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Recommended Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States
Step 4: Designing and defending Farm-to-Child Care (FTC) • Texas’ proposal • TDA’s tradition of working with Texas farmers • Increase the connection between local farms, local produce and children in child care • Create a sustainable system change for CACFP sites to purchase directly from Texas farmers
Step 4: Designing and defending Breastfeeding Supportive Child Care Practices • Why Breastfeeding Supportive Child Care Practices? • Recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics • Key component of Let’s Move Campaign • Only 14% of Texas moms breastfeed at 6 months • Higher risk and increased obstacles when children are cared for outside of the home • Breast milk = CACFP creditable food item • Evidenced-based strategy for obesity prevention
Step 4: Designing and defending Healthy Child Care Network • Why the Healthy Child Care Network? • Online training / distance learning meets a statewide provider need • Significant number of child care providers technology/interactive capacity is low • Participation in the HCN would allow technological purchases deemed necessary and appropriate • Expenses would be limited to percentage time spent on CACFP • In time, the goal would be for all CACFP providers to be on the HCN
Step 5: Submit and be ready • Submission • Submit your proposal on time and per instructions included in RFA • When in doubt ask questions about submission well ahead of time • Keep & file copies where you can find them easily • Review of proposals takes time • Be available and ready to respond • Notification is followed by negotiation • Be prepared to adjust proposal as needed • Keep all responses and communications for reference
First Year Challenges in Texas • Start-up year • Hiring delays • Response to initial Texas’ RFA for sub-grants • 4 Farm to Child Care & 3 Breastfeeding Supportive Child Care Practices Projects were awarded • http://www.squaremeals.org/FampNResources/FundingGrants/CACFPChildCareWellnessGrantProgram.aspx
Future Looks Bright • FY2013 • Grants Specialist LillianneGoeders hired • Dedicated web page www.squaremeals.org/FampNResources/FundingGrants/CACFPChildCareWellnessGrantProgram.aspx • Increased communication and outreach efforts • 112 applications received to date: 21 Breastfeeding Support and 91 Farm to Child Care proposals. • Total Amount request from applicant’s received to date = $1,509,399. • Award start date for Year 2 is September 1, 2012
For more information • Contact CACFPWellness@TexasAgriculture.gov Or LillianneGoeders, F&N Grants Specialist: 512-463-6287