During his 2019 election campaign, Mayor Steven Reed said he wanted to implement a full-day, universal pre-kindergarten program.
Less than 100 days into his four-year term, he’s partnering with the Alabama School Readiness Alliance to raise awareness of state grants for pre-K classrooms from the Office of School Readiness under the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. Funding amounts range from $50,000 to $100,000.
Thursday, he encouraged Montgomery child care providers to apply for available state first class pre-k funds and parents to register for the grant program.
“When we think about closing the achievement gap, it starts right here,” Reed said.
Reed said his administration is looking into ways of providing matching funds for pre-K programs so they can get state grants.
Reed, the Alabama School Readiness Alliance and Family Guidance Center are hosting a free workshop for child care providers interested in adding a first class pre-K classroom to their centers. For additional resources, childcare providers and parents can visit www.alabamaschoolreadiness.org.