The federal government is officially soliciting bids for an agency to run Head Start in Lucas County.

Head Start, a program for 3 to 5-year-olds from low-income families, is run by the Economic Opportunity Planning Association of Greater Toledo, but the agency was notified in December that it must compete against other agencies if it wants to continue receiving nearly $13 million to run the program.

According to the 55-page grant announcement, the federal Department of Health and Human Services "intends to fund applications that demonstrate an organization's commitment and capacity to operate a Head Start program that raises the quality of early care and education in the community and helps children start school ready to succeed.

"School readiness requires that children are cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally prepared to continue to make progress as they enter kindergarten.

"Effective Head Start programs help children develop in each of these areas. [The Administration for Children and Families] is seeking applicants that are able to utilize the best evidence-based early education practices in their programs to support high-caliber classroom instruction and effective family engagement and health promotion."

Collaboration between local organizations on a joint application for the grant seems increasingly unlikely. The closing date for applications is Aug. 14.

Toledo Public Schools "have been working in earnest for about three months" on a comprehensive application, Superintendent Jerome Pecko said Wednesday. Nevertheless, "we will always keep all of our options open" in terms of working with other local groups, he said. A meeting is to be held this month among TPS, EOPA and the University of Toledo.

"We know it will take collaboration for this grant application to be accepted," said Richard Jackson, EOPA's board president.

Also considering applying for the grant is Brightside Academy, a Pittsburgh-based for-profit early education and childcare provider that has three locations in Toledo. Brightside would provide the education and classroom component and work with another agency to provide social services, Mark Kehoe, chief executive officer, said.

Mr. Kehoe said he is aware of the political acrimony surrounding the debate over who will administer Head Start in Toledo. "What we don't want to become is part of the political debate," he said. "What we want to do is focus on a quality experience for the kids of Head Start. … We want to be a collaborator."

Eligible applicants can come from county, city, or township governments, school districts, higher education institutions, housing authorities or nonprofit groups with 501(c)3 status. Also eligible are for-profit businesses, according to the application. The Office of Head Start can make from one to three grant awards for the area.

The grant information is available online at www.grants.gov.

Contact Kate Giammarise at: kgiammarise@theblade.com or 419-724-6091.

First Published May 17, 2012, 5:18 a.m.