Preschool Development Grant
Preschool Development Grant
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Alabama’s Preschool Development Grant, Birth through Five

On behalf of the State of Alabama and with designated authority from the Office of the Governor, the 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.

With the support of a PDG B-5 renewal grant, Alabama will continue longstanding efforts to expand access to high-quality early childhood care and education for all children. The renewal grant will build upon the successes of the nationally-recognized First Class Pre-K, First Teacher Home Visiting, and Pre-K–3rd Grade Integrated Approach to Early Learning (P-3) programs, as well as promote Alabama’s Born Ready movement, to inspire and empower every parent and ensure every child reaches their greatest potential.

Alabama’s PDG B-5 work aligns with Governor Ivey’s Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, a comprehensive education-to-workforce agenda with a focus on the birth-five continuum, recognizing a child’s first five years as foundational for lifelong success. The PDG B-5 renewal grant will ensure Alabama meets the goals laid out in the Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative while continuing to improve system coordination. Born Ready is an integral part of Governor Ivey’s “Strong Start, Strong Finish” education initiative, focused on raising awareness among Alabama parents of the importance of early brain development and quality early childhood learning experiences. Through Strong Start, Strong Finish, Alabama is building an education system from pre-k to workforce that helps students succeed in school and after they graduate.

During 2019, the Department of Early Childhood Education, along with 100 other state agencies and non-governmental organizations, completed a comprehensive assessment of early care and education needs in the state of Alabama and constructed a strategic plan to meet these needs. The PDG B-5 renewal grant 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. 

The stated purposes of the PDG B-5 Initiative are:

  1. Develop, update or implement a strategic plan that facilitates collaboration and coordination among existing programs of early childhood care and education in a mixed delivery system across the State;
  2. More efficiently use existing Federal, State, local and non-governmental resources to align and strengthen the delivery of existing programs;
  1. Encourage partnerships among the wide range of early childhood education programs and service partners that make up the B-5 Early Childhood State System;
  1. Expand parental choice and knowledge about existing programs; and
  1. Enhance school readiness for children from low-income and disadvantaged families, including during children's transition into elementary school by sharing best practices between and among early childhood education providers.