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].

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