The Office of Early Childhood Development within the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services jointly with the Department of Education will be soliciting applications from eligible states and territories to carry out the Renewal Grant activities of the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) Program. The primary purpose of the Renewal Grant is birth though five early care and education systems-building and improvement. These awards will fund state and territories to conduct and/or update a comprehensive statewide birth through five needs assessment and related strategic plan to identify and address opportunities to strengthen early childhood programs in a mixed delivery system. Funds are also used to support the development and mental health of the birth through five early care and education workforce, leading to the improvement of early care and education (ECE) program quality and seamless learning experiences from birth into kindergarten. Additional efforts target increased opportunities for meaningful family engagement and access to ECE programs by means of the development of a coordinated application, eligibility, and enrollment system. Surrounding all of these efforts is an intentional focus on improving B-5 data collection, integration, and use.
