PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Preschool Development Grant
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Early Childhood Education (ECE) believes that every family should have an opportunity to choose a high-quality early care and education setting that promotes positive development of their child. Scientists, economists, and educators recognize that research suggests early care and education beginning at birth is an investment that pays dividends as children enter kindergarten, move through the early elementary grades, transition to college or a career, and become adult citizens in their community. Families that choose early care and education programs for their children do so for a variety of reasons and should have options for programs that are high quality, are available where families live and work, and are affordable.
OVERVIEW
In December 2025, Arizona was awarded the Preschool Development Grant Birth-5 Systems-Building Grant. This is a 1-year grant with a total of $8.4 million in funding focused on systems integration. This grant is intended to help the state build its overall early childhood system with a governance model that ensures sustainable and durable change. Grant program priorities include developing a shared, comprehensive statewide vision for early care and education, building a unified, coherent statewide early care and education system, maximizing family choice for early care and education options. Arizona's PDG Application outlines the priorities and goals of the grant, and the official federal announcement highlights PDG B-5 allocations by state.
Arizona Preschool Development Grant Birth to 5 Systems Building Critical Elements
| Critical | StrategY |
|---|---|
| Critical Element #1 | Strategy: Update the ECE needs assessment and strategic plan |
| Critical Element #2 | Category 1: Reconcile Fragmented Elements into a Unified System
Category 2: Expand Program Availability and Sustainability
Category 3: Align or Share Information and Data Systems
|
| Critical Element #3 | Strategy: Integrated system partner project impact and monitoring |
Preschool Development Grant Birth to 5 Systems-Building Partners
Arizona Department of Education Academic Standards/Early Childhood
Arizona Department of Economic Security, Child and Community Services (AZ DES)
Arizona Head Start Association (AzHSA)
Arizona Head Start Collaboration Office
Office of the Arizona Governors Office, Office of Strategic Initiatives
Southwest Human Development (SWHD)
Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) Regional Family Engagement Literacy Hubs
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona (UWTSA) Regional Family Engagement Literacy Hubs
Disclaimer Statement
This website is supported by Grant Number 90TP008703 from the Office of Early Childhood Development within the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Neither ACF nor any of its components operates, controls, is responsible for, or necessarily endorses this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the Arizona Department of Education and do not necessarily reflect the views of ACF and the Office of Early Childhood Development.
