(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has awarded the District a $4.9 million Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5). The grant will bolster postsecondary scholarships and professional learning opportunities for early childhood educators while enhancing a comprehensive system of integrated supports for children, families, and educators. The goal is to foster high-quality, inclusive learning environments for children from birth to age five. The District is one of only 11 states nationwide to be awarded this competitive grant.     
 
“We are proud that DC is a national leader in early childhood education, particularly when it comes to access and quality,” said Mayor Bowser. “This grant will allow us to invest more in the strategies and programs that are working for our youngest learners and the dedicated professionals who educate them.”   
 
The PDG B-5 grant enables states to invest in and test strategies that will improve access to early learning experiences for young children, strengthen the early childhood workforce, and continue to improve the quality of early childhood programs in states and communities. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will administer the grant over the next three years.  
 
The District’s child care licensing regulations establish standards that require all early childhood educators to meet minimum education requirements. Educators must also participate in professional development that ensures they have the skills and knowledge to support young children’s learning. PDG B-5 grand funds will enhance the District’s efforts to advance the early learning workforce by providing: 

•  Postsecondary scholarships through the DC Leading Educators toward Advanced Degrees (DC LEAD) program, helping child care educators meet education and training requirements. 
• Compensation through the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund for educators working with young children.  
• Collaboration across DC Public Schools, public charter schools, licensed child development facilities and the Healthy Futures and Strong Start programs to pilot innovative strategies that enhance support for educators, families, and early learners. These strategies will focus on social-emotional development, prosocial behavior, and the inclusion of children with disabilities. 
• Accelerated implementation of the Pyramid Models as a citywide strategy to promote the social-emotional development of children with disabilities and developmental delays through Strong Start DC, the District’s early intervention program.

 
“We believe that investing and supporting our early childhood educators is the most powerful lever to achieve the District's goals for access to and quality of early care and education,” said Interim State Superintendent Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell. “By providing early childhood educators with supports to grow their knowledge and skills and build sustainable careers in early learning, we will cultivate learning environments that will enable all DC’s diverse early learners to reach their full potential.” 
 
The PDG B-5 grant will also support OSSE to strengthen communication and outreach to families about early learning opportunities in the District. This includes enhancements to Capital Quality and MyChildCare.dc.gov.  
 
This is the second time the District has been awarded a PDG B-5 grant. In 2018, the District was awarded a $10.6 million grant to improve early childhood program quality and build systems that equip families with consistent and transparent information. 

It is also the second time over the past year that the District has been recognized for its innovative supports of the early childhood workforce. In November 2023, OSSE was awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative (The Collaborative) to advance professional credentials, wages, and benefits for early childhood educators.   
 
More information on the District’s PDG B-5 grant will be available at osse.dc.gov.  
 

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