Uncle Sam funds preschool in Micronesia—compact deals deliver.
Published Date: 8/12/2026
Notice
Summary
The ACF, OHS announces the intent to award two sole-source grants in the total amount of up to $7,200,000, or $3,600,000 each, to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to support the establishment and provision of Early Head Start (EHS) and/or Head Start Preschool (HSP) services. These awards are made pursuant to new statutory authority and recent appropriations providing $8 million to extend Head Start eligibility and services in the Freely Associated States, as authorized under the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024 (Division G, Title II of Public Law 118-42), and the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Sole-Source Head Start Grants to FSM & RMI
The Administration for Children and Families plans to award two sole-source grants totaling up to $7,200,000 — up to $3,600,000 each — to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to plan, establish, and operate Early Head Start and/or Head Start Preschool programs. The proposed project period is 60 months, initial funding will be issued for 12 months, and recipients will not face Head Start Designation Renewal System (DRS) competition for the first 24 months.
Head Start Eligibility Extended to Freely Associated States
Amendments to the Compacts of Free Association in March 2024, together with FY2026 appropriations, establish eligibility for Head Start services in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands and provide dedicated funding to support early childhood education, health, nutrition, and family support services in those nations. This change creates a new pathway for families in FSM and RMI to receive Head Start and Early Head Start services in their home jurisdictions.
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