Alabama’s Preschool Development Grant,
Birth through 5
On behalf of the state of Alabama and with designated authority from the Office of the Governor, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education applied for the Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) through the United States Departments of Health and Human Services and Education on November 2, 2018. The Department received notice of the federal grant award of $10.6 million on December 31, 2018.
On November 1, 2019, the department applied for a renewal of the state’s PDG B-5. On December 18, 2019, the department was notified of a $33 million grant award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education for a renewal of Alabama’s PDG B-5 initiative over the next three years.
On December 31, 2022, Alabama was once again awarded PDG B-5 funding via a $4 million planning grant. In August 2023, Alabama received an additional $860,000 in supplemental PDG B-5 funding.
With the support of the PDG B-5 renewal grant and planning grant Alabama will continue longstanding efforts to expand access to high-quality early childhood care and education for all children. In 2023, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood completed a comprehensive needs assessment of early care and education needs in the state of Alabama and updated the strategic plan to meet these needs. The PDG B-5 funding will ensure Alabama continues to deliver high-quality early childhood care and education while expanding access to programs that support all children, especially low-income, rural, disadvantaged children.
In December 2025, Alabama was awarded a $3,877,350 Preschool Development Birth Through Five Systems-Building grant. This grant period is December 31, 2025 to December 30, 2026. This funding is provided to help states to:
- Develop a coherent, unified state ECE system that reconciles ECE policies, initiatives, and funding streams, including integrating Head Start grantees.
- Create seamless early learning experiences for young children and their families.
- Efficiently and strategically layer federal, state, local, and nongovernmental resources for early care and education.
- Maximize family choice across the range of ECE program options to give working families more opportunities that match their needs and preferences.