The Office of Early Childhood Development within the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Department of Education, is dedicated to supporting and funding initiatives that enhance early childhood care and education (ECCE) across the United States. Their mission focuses on building systems that ensure the well-being and healthy development of children and families, particularly those in underserved communities.
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Renewal Grant is designed to support states and territories in advancing their early childhood care and education (ECCE) systems. This grant aims to fund states so they can build upon their initial efforts under the PDG B-5 program, while adapting to the evolving needs of children and families, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant emphasizes improving the ECCE workforce, enhancing the quality of services, and expanding access to early childhood programs for children in high-need communities. A critical component of the grant is the encouragement for recipients to utilize a portion of their funds to issue subgrants that support the expansion and enhancement of early childhood services within the mixed delivery system across states. This includes the development of new programs or improvement of existing ones to better serve low-income and disadvantaged young children and their families.