Federal Funding
35 States Vie for $250 Million in Preschool Development Grants
Thirty-five states and Puerto Rico have applied for grants to help build or
expand preschool programs in high-need communities with the goal of increasing
the number of 4-year-olds who are well prepared to start school.
The $250 million
Preschool Development Grants program is jointly administered by the United
States Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) and is
intended to "lay the groundwork to ensure that more states are ready to
participate in the Preschool for All
initiative proposed by the Obama Administration," according to ED. More than 25
high-need communities in 12 to 15 states will receive the grants. Recipients will
use the funds to build, develop or expand preschool programs for children from
low- and moderate-income families, and the states must uphold standards for
"high-quality" preschool programs in those communities.
States with small or no state-funded preschool programs are eligible for
Preschool Development Grants. States with stronger state-funded preschool
programs and states that have received Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge
grants are eligible for Expansion Grants.
States that have applied for development grants:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Hawaii
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- Puerto Rico
States that have applied for expansion grants:
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington State
The Preschool Development Grants will be awarded in December 2014. Further
information about the program can be found on
ED's
site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].