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The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care (OCC), along with the Office of Head Start (OHS) and Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD), and with support from the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA) released the Early Care and Education Workforce Salary Scale Playbook: Implementation Guide on April 25, 2024.  This resource is designed for state, local and ECE program leaders and provides practical guidance on the essential actions necessary to build and implement a comprehensive, equitable salary scale for early educators and caregivers in ECE system and program contexts. 

To: State, territory, and Tribal lead agencies administering the Child Care and Development Fund program, and other interested parties.

Subject: Using the Child Care and Development Fund to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Child Care Workforce.

Reference: The Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.); Child Care and Development Fund Regulations (45 C.F.R. Part 98).

Purpose: This information memorandum (IM) provides guidance to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) lead agencies regarding how CCDF funds can be used to improve the mental health and well-being of children, families, and the early care and education workforce. This IM does not include any changes to the Office of Child Care’s (OCC) existing interpretation of how CCDF funds can be used but clarifies allowable uses for supporting mental health.

TO: All Head Start Grant Recipients

SUBJECT: Strategies and Recommendations for Supporting Mental Health

PURPOSE: This Information Memorandum (IM) highlights the Head Start Program Performance Standards and related strategies for integrating mental health supports across all Head Start programs.

TO: Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five grant recipients

SUBJECT: Using PDG B-5 to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Early Care and Education Workforce

REFERENCES: This grant program is authorized by section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act, Public Law 114-95 (December 10, 2015), 42 U.S.C. 9831 note.

Purpose: The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM) is to provide recommendations to Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth through Five (B-5) Planning and Renewal grant recipients (“recipients”) on key strategies for promoting the mental health and well-being of children, families, and the early care and education (ECE) workforce. This IM does not include any changes to the Office of Early Childhood Development’s interpretation of how PDG B-5 funds can be used but clarifies allowable uses for supporting mental health.
Background: The purpose of the PDG B-5 grant program is to strengthen the state’s integrated ECE system to prepare low-income and disadvantaged children to enter and have a seamless and high-quality early childhood experience from birth to kindergarten and into elementary school. In the service of this goal, states and territories invest in strengthening the early childhood workforce, expanding access to high-quality ECE programs, and collaborating with partners to enhance coordination across the early childhood system.

Opportunities for the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program to Promote the Mental Health and Well-being of Children, Families, and the Tribal MIECHV Workforce

This report is a response to section 9213 of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the heads of federal agencies that administer federal early childhood education programs, prepare and submit a report on the Preschool Development Grants initiative to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the U.S. House of Representatives, including how the use by states of Preschool Development Grant funds under section 9212 has led to the better utilization of resources.

We are writing to encourage you to work with local educational agencies and early childhood partners in your states and communities to serve more of our youngest learners in high-quality preschool1 through a mixed delivery approach. A mixed delivery approach involves a coordinated effort on the part of States and local communities to support preschool programs across a range of quality settings, building on the expertise and capacity of existing providers and leveraging existing Federal, state, and local funding.

Dear Colleagues:

I'm excited to share new resources and opportunities with you to further our collective effort to build an early childhood system that meets the needs of children, families, and early educators. 

As we celebrate Black History Month, I hope you will take some time to honor and recognize the importance of Black History in early childhood policy and programs. This month, we also take time to honor the countless Black leaders and early educators that have contributed to early childhood policy and services throughout history and continue to do so today. From the unsung heroes in family child care homes and classrooms to those who have occupied Congress and the White House, we are grateful for Black leadership that makes progress in early childhood possible. 

Thank you for all you do to support children and families in your communities. 

With appreciation,

Katie Hamm, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development 

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