Early Childhood Development (ECD)

The Office of Early Childhood Development released new policy guidance for states, Tribes, territories, and local early childhood programs to promote mental health & wellness of children, families, and the early care & education workforce. The four new information memoranda recommend strategies to advance mental health promotion in the Child Care & Development Fund, Head Start, Preschool Development Grant, Birth through Five, & Tribal Home Visiting Programs.

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) released a report in response to section 9213 of Every Student Succeeds Act. The report includes information on the Preschool Development Grants initiative and how the funds granted under section 9212 have been utilized by states to better allocate resources. The initiative is aimed at improving early childhood education programs across the country.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a joint letter to state school and early childhood leaders to collaborate on a mixed delivery approach to preschool and leverage federal funding to improve access to preschool.

Visit the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated joint-policy statement on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs.

ECD will host a virtual listening session on Thursday, October 24th to gather input on the Tribal Integrated Early Education Services (TIEES) legislative proposal. TIEES would give Tribes the flexibility to integrate early childhood funding streams (Child Care and Development Fund, Head Start, and Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting) into a single coordinated, culturally grounded, comprehensive, and Tribally-driven program. The listening session is an opportunity to learn more about the proposal and provide feedback on the design of the proposed program.