Prospective afterschool and out-of-school time youth services providers seeking program funding from Harris County Department of Education will now have to become approved Center for Afterschool, Summer, and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids) vendors to become eligible for upcoming funding opportunities.

With new funding on the horizon, CASE hopes to engage a diverse group of out-of-school time providers as we work together to keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.

“CASE for Kids is eager to continue supporting our many community partners who provide engaging out-of-school time programs for Harris County youth,” CASE for Kids Director Dr. Lisa Thompson Caruthers said. “We want to help our providers secure funding for their 2022 programs, and this new process will allow us to be better able to do so.”

Approximately $2 million in grant funds are available for 2022 programming for area nonprofits that supply comprehensive or short-term programs and camps, which may be hosted in-person or virtually from various locations, including schools, community centers, apartment complexes, and churches.

Nonprofits interested in competing to become an afterschool and summer youth services provider for CASE for Kids must register as a bidder or “supplier” on HCDE’s eBid system and respond to RFP #22/012IA-2 (CASE for Kids Youth Services for Afterschool and Summer).

The deadline to respond to the RFP on HCDE’s eBid system is 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Potential vendors are strongly encouraged to begin the new RFP process as soon as possible and respond by Monday, February 14, 2022, to allow sufficient time for proposal review before the deadline and ensure they become eligible for funding.

If authorized, an organization becomes an approved HCDE vendor for five years.

Nonprofits interested in learning about funding opportunities or additional afterschool resources through CASE for Kids are strongly encouraged to attend one of the following virtual information meetings to learn more about the new eligibility requirements:

• 10 a.m. on January 14, 2022
• 10 a.m. on January 21, 2022
• 10 a.m. on January 28, 2022

Click here to join the meetings on Zoom.

If you cannot attend a live information meeting, a pre-recorded session can be viewed here.

CASE for Kids supplies resources, training, and funding for students in afterschool and out-of-school time programs in schools and community centers. In 2021, CASE for Kids served more than 12,745 students and supported 2,885 educators.

For more information, visit hcde-texas.org/afterschoolzone/youth-services-for-afterschool-and-summer-rfps. For questions about funding opportunities, contact CASE for Kids Resources Manager Mary Glover at 713-696-1360 or mglover@hcde-texas.org. For questions about the new vendor approval process, contact Inga Ash via email at iash@hcde-texas.org.