Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five (PDG B-5)

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The new version of the Preschool Development Grant program, PDG B-5 for the first time allows states to include infants and toddlers. PDG B-5 offers states an opportunity to strengthen coordination of existing early childhood care and education (ECCE) services and funding streams to provide equal access to more children birth through age five. We know from science that brains are built from the bottom up. The early experiences of young children will shape the architecture of their brains in enduring ways and build the foundation – whether strong or weak – for their future development. For this reason, ZERO TO THREE strongly urges states to include an intentional focus on infants and toddlers in their PDG B-5 strategic plans.

ZERO TO THREE created the following resources to support states in developing their PDG B-5 applications:

• The Preschool Development Grant Birth-Five (PDG B-5) Offers A New Opportunity to Support Babies and Toddlers: A Tool to Intentionally Include Infants and Toddlers in PDG B-5 – this document explains how the PDG B-5 can be used to address ECCE system challenges impacting infants and toddlers and offers recommendations for specific strategies that states can include in PDG B-5 applications to improve outcomes for babies.
  
• Including Infants and Toddlers in PDG B-5 Resource List – this annotated resource list provides links to briefs, tools, and videos that go into detail about how the strategies outlined in the PDG B-5 tool can be implemented. It is organized into the same five areas.
• Making the Case for Babies – Why Infants and Toddlers Should Be A Critical Focus of PDG B-5 – this PowerPoint presentation discusses the science of brain development, what happens when babies don’t get a strong start in life, and how the ECCE system can promote babies’ healthy development.

Preparing an Application?

ZERO TO THREE recently participated in a State Technical Assistance and Peer Learning Meeting hosted by the BUILD Initiative and partners to support state teams in preparing their PDG B-5 applications. Meeting materials and additional resources can be found here.