Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Systems Building Grant

Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Systems Building Grant is sponsored by Executive Office on Early Learning, State of Hawaiʻi. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-5) - Build Initiative The 2025 Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Systems Building Grants for fiscal year 2025 involved a competitive grant application process with a December 1 deadline. Twenty-three states have been awarded grants ranging from $1,376,813 (Hawaii) to $14,751,000 (AR, FL, MD, OH, and OK).

Funds support the development of a shared statewide vision to inform all early care and education (ECE) decisions, build a unified ECE system, and maximize family choice. The 2025 Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Systems Building Grants for fiscal year 2025 involved a competitive grant application process with a December 1 deadline.

Twenty-three states have been awarded grants ranging from $1,376,813 (Hawaii) to $14,751,000 (AR, FL, MD, OH, and OK). Funds support the development of a shared statewide vision to inform all early care and education (ECE) decisions, build a unified ECE system, and maximize family choice. The full list of PDG B-5 grants awarded in 2024 and 2025 is available here; the 2025 list is reproduced below.

2025 PDG B-5 Systems Building Grants State Agency State Federal Award Amount Department of Health and Social Services AK $8,000,000 Department of Early Childhood Education AL $3,877,350 Department of Education AR $14,751,000 Department of Education AZ $8,428,558 Office of Early Childhood CT $11,951,276 Department of Education DE $11,312,542 Department of Education FL $14,751,000 Executive Office on Early Learning HI $1,376,813 State University ID $10,602,330 Family and Social Services Administration IN $14,680,302 Education and Work Force Development Cabinet KY $5,931,231 Division of Administration LA $13,723,445 Department of Education ME $1,933,007 Department of Early Education and Care MA $11,971,330 State Department of Education MD $14,751,000 Department of Health and Human Services NE $4,036,709 State Executive Office NJ $3,250,719 Department of Children and Youth Services OH $14,751,000 Partnership for School Readiness Foundation, Inc. OK $14,751,000 Department of Early Learning and Care OR $7,355,305 Department of Health and Human Services UT $7,269,293 Agency of Human Services VT $12,706,625 Department of Children and Families WI $13,921,165 The Alliance for Early Success, the BUILD Initiative, EducationCounsel, and Start Early hosted a webinar on November 21, 2025, to support state leaders as they prepared their applications.

After the webinar, we were able to support many states in the application process. As a next step, we’d like to assist states in their PDG B-5 activities. We want to highlight common themes in the applications, identify trends in specific areas, and create a narrative around the activities these funds will support, which are vital for children and families.

For states interested in and engaged with similar work, we can facilitate peer connections to share strategies and solve problems together. To help make this happen, please share your final application with us at info@buildinitiative. org.

Resources for State PDG B-5 Applicants These resources were shared during the November 21 webinar.

Application Checklist : Submission Requirements and Merit Criteria Guide for avoiding DEI language Words prohibited in Head Start grant applications include: Racism, Race, Racial, marginalized, institutional, historically, bias, Equity, equitable, diversity, diverse, belong, belonging, inclusion, inclusivity, gender, chestfeeding, pregnant people, or LGBTQIA.

For PDG B-5 policy updates and additional resources, visit First Five Years Fund’s website . Archived resources for past PDG B-5 application cycles and resources can be found here .

Resources to Support State PDG B-5 Systems Building People, Money, Progress : Activating Strong Public Early Learning Systems Findings and Insights from an Evaluation of the Early Childhood Governing and Finance Project’s Direct Investment in States and Territories Public Early Learning Systems Roadmap for Change : A tool to support leaders in building stronger early learning systems Systems Building Resource Guide | Child Care Technical Assistance Network Building a Comprehensive Early Care and Education System | The Administration for Children and Families Early Childhood System Building Strategies | Child Trends The Nuts and Bolts of Building Early Childhood Systems through State/Local Initiatives Although primarily focused on alignment and governance, this paper also covers vision development and engagement.

Head Start’s Footprint: A Focus on Rural Communities, Children with Disabilities and Vital Health Services This report reviews data and research to explore Head Start’s footprint in the United States, with a focus on: The role Head Start plays in rural communities, particularly in access to child care and health services; The benefits of Head Start in the lives of children with disabilities, especially those in rural communities; The foundational support Head Start provides to children and families through food and nutrition, universal screenings, and connections to health care services.

A Framework for Choosing a State-Level Early Childhood GOVERNANCE SYSTEM Early Care and Education Governance Models How States Structure Early Childhood Governance—and Why It Matters Early Childhood Governance.

A toolkit of curated resources to assist state leaders Transform State Early Childhood Data to Meet the Needs of Children, Families, and Those Who Support Them | DaSy Center Strategies for Collecting and Providing Data on a Mixed Delivery System to Support Parent Choice Building a coordinated data system to support early childhood education | IES The 10 Fundamentals of Coordinated State Data Systems Coordinated Enrollment Strategies/Coordinated Approaches to Service Delivery Coordinated Enrollment Across Early Care and Education Settings | HeadStart.

gov Coordinated Services for Families | Administration for Children and Families Child Care Aware report on strategies for change in CACFP FRAC report on CACFP and improving nutrition Promoting Early Childhood Literacy REL Northwest compiled vetted resources to support early literacy from ages 0-3 and preschool to grade 3.

2024 Actions State Policymakers Took to Improve Early Literacy Building Pre-Literacy Skills in Pre-K Settings Coordinating ECE with the Foster Care System Ensuring Educational Stability and Success for Students in Foster Care (see p. 52) How can child protection agencies partner with early care and education to improve outcomes for children ?

Joint Office Information Memorandum regarding Child Welfare Family Engagement : In Brief, Learning from the New Round of PDG B-5 Systems Building Grants (2024) Maximizing Parental Choice and Knowledge of Options for Child Care through an Online Portal Increasing Family Access and System Coordination Through Coordinated Eligibility and Enrollment (2024) Why is Coordinated Enrollment So Complicated : An Analysis of Barriers and Co-Created Solutions from the Frontlines Ideas on How to Approach the Preschool Development Grant 2019 Bonus – Coordinated Application, Eligibility, Enrollment Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (Core Priority 1) Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Early Intervention (Part C): Policies and practices for supporting the social and emotional development and mental health of infants and toddlers in the context of parent-child relationships Infant Mental Health Consultation Supporting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health & Social-Emotional Learning