Categorical Grants
Categorical grants can only be used for a specific purpose, and are given out to state and local governments by federal entities. It is very specific, and can only be used for the one defined objective. Entities are not required to accept these categorical grants, but if they do, they are required to all the rules and regulations that are laid out beforehand. This article with talk more about categorical grants, and give some examples of some.
What is it?
Categorical grants are given to government agencies and entities that are to be used for a very specific purpose. The grants are awarded to applicants that can meet all of the predefined categories. Those who receive these grants must report back frequently to show the money is being used correctly. Some examples of these categorical grants are
- Asbestos Abatement programs
- Forestry Assistance programs
Head Start programs
An Example of Categorical Grants – Head Start
In 1965 Head Start began as a summer school program for families with low incomes to allow children to prepare themselves before their first year of school. Categorical grants make up huge part of the assistance for these programs. In 2014, $500 million was given in grants to hundreds of Head Start programs.
When Barak Obama was the president, he stressed the importance of getting children ready for their education through Head Start programs. This was especially the case for those with low income, as they may not have the means to provide the education on their own budget. Under President Obama, large additions were made to the Head Start programs.
- Providing health, developmental, and behavioral screenings – This was very important for children in low income families that may not be able to afford these screenings on their own. By offering this, issues are caught much earlier and are better treated.
- Added importance on health and nutrition for children – The nation has grown gradually unhealthier, and this change allows children to gain some education on the correct habits and lifestyle.
- Adding parent engagement opportunities – When time and money is short, sometimes parents are not able to be as involved with their children as they would like to. This change has helped introduce new ways for families to interact with their young children.
Everything above was made possible by categorical grants. Without them, there simply would not have been enough funding to provide all this support to the Head Start Programs of the country, and children would be worse of for it. Categorical grants are a great way to help certain programs and projects shine!