Announcement of the Intent To Award Single-Source Grants (Multiple Recipients) for Necessary Expenses Directly Related to the Consequences of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian
Impact on your practice
Therapists and mental health agencies in Florida, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico should explore partnership opportunities with Head Start programs receiving these disaster recovery grants. This represents significant new funding for mental health services in hurricane-affected communities.
Key facts
$143.4M in single-source grants announced for Head Start programs in FL, SC, and PR
Funding includes increased mental health support as direct consequence of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian
Grants cover replacement of facilities and expanded mental health services
Targeted to Head Start organizations with demonstrated service disruption
Therapy Companion analysis
This $143.4 million in federal disaster recovery funding creates a significant but narrowly-scoped opportunity for mental health practitioners in Florida, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico. The grants flow directly to Head Start organizations and municipalities that operated Head Start programs, not to independent mental health providers or therapy agencies. If your practice has existing contracts with Head Start programs in hurricane-affected areas, you may see increased referrals and expanded service capacity as these organizations rebuild and expand mental health support. However, the funding structure means you will not receive direct grants—instead, you should position your practice as a subcontractor or service provider to the listed recipients. The 36-month expenditure deadline (funds must be spent by 36 months from each recipient's award date) creates urgency for Head Start organizations to deploy mental health services quickly, which could translate to rapid contracting opportunities for therapists willing to scale up capacity. The emphasis on "increased mental health support" as a direct consequence of hurricane damage suggests these funds are earmarked specifically for trauma-informed care, crisis response, and disaster-related mental health services rather than routine therapy. Your reimbursement model will depend entirely on your contractual relationship with the Head Start grantee—you may negotiate fee-for-service rates, per-session payments, or capacity-building contracts. Practitioners in Puerto Rico should note that the largest single awards went to Puerto Rican municipalities and organizations (totaling over $90 million), making that territory the most active market for this funding.
Background
Hurricanes Fiona and Ian struck in September and September-October 2022, causing widespread infrastructure damage and service disruptions across Florida, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (signed December 29, 2022) allocated $345 million in emergency funding specifically for hurricane-related recovery activities authorized under the Public Health Service Act. The Office of Head Start identified that early childhood programs in these three jurisdictions experienced significant service disruptions and determined that expanded mental health support was a critical recovery need—particularly given the documented trauma exposure among young children and families. This funding announcement represents the distribution phase of that appropriation, with grants effective from November 1, 2023, and continuing through September 30, 2027. The single-source award structure (meaning these specific organizations were selected without competitive bidding due to their demonstrated service disruption) reflects the emergency nature of the funding and the need to rapidly restore and expand services in affected communities.
What you should do
Identify which Head Start organizations in your state received awards from the table provided (Florida recipients include Children First, Wateree Community Action, Mid Florida Community Services, New York Foundling, East Coast Migrant, and others; South Carolina recipients include Wateree Community Action, Quintana Baptist Church Head Start Program, and Chesterfield Marlboro County Economic Opportunity Council; Puerto Rico recipients include multiple municipalities and foundations). Contact these organizations directly to inquire about mental health service expansion plans and subcontracting opportunities.
Develop a disaster mental health service proposal tailored to Head Start populations (ages 0-5 and their families) that addresses trauma, grief, and behavioral health impacts of hurricane exposure. Emphasize your capacity to provide culturally-responsive, evidence-based interventions and your ability to scale services within the 36-month spending window.
Review your current licensing and credentialing status in FL, SC, and PR to ensure you can legally provide services in all jurisdictions where you plan to contract. Verify that your license is recognized by Head Start programs and that you meet any additional credentialing requirements for federally-funded early childhood programs.
Establish billing and documentation systems that align with Head Start requirements and federal grant compliance standards. Prepare to track outcomes, session attendance, and clinical progress using metrics that Head Start programs will report to the federal government.
If you operate in Puerto Rico, prioritize outreach to the municipalities and organizations listed as major award recipients (Municipality of Carolina received $31.3M total, Municipality of Guayama received $8.3M total, Red por los Derechos received $23.7M total). These organizations will have the largest budgets and fastest timelines for deploying mental health services.
Notable excerpts
"These awards are for necessary expenses directly related to the consequences of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, including replacement of damaged or destroyed property and facilities, and increased mental health support." (Federal Register, 91 FR 48117)
"All funds must be expended by recipients within 36 months of their award date." (Federal Register, 91 FR 48117)
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