HHS Encourages State Leaders to Work Together to Improve Access to Preschool Through a Mixed Delivery Approach

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) today 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. 

Mixed delivery refers to an approach to preschool that maximizes all early childhood settings in a community and meets families’ needs by offering programs in child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start, and public schools. A growing number of states and localities are using local, state, and federal funds to expand access to high-quality preschool. 

“High-quality preschool is an essential part of a birth to five early care and education system” said Katie Hamm, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families. “When state school and early childhood leaders work together to expand access to preschool across settings, they can better meet families’ needs and provide more children with enriching early childhood experiences that support positive development and foster early learning.”

The letter is part of a broader strategy between HHS and ED to support states, communities, and schools in an effective birth to third grade strategy that supports young children and their families. Last year, the Departments released a joint policy statement to promote inclusive early childhood opportunities for children with disabilities. Today, the Department of Education is also releasing guidance to support schools that use Title I funds for early childhood programming.

“School leaders across the country are recognizing the value of investing in high-quality preschool and working in partnership with Head Start and community-based organizations to reach more young learners and ensure smooth transitions to kindergarten. At the Department of Education, we are working closely with our partners at HHS to create a sturdy bridge between the early years and early grades and lay a clear pathway to early school success,” said Swati Adarkar, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education. “We know it takes effective collaboration across the federal, state, and local level to meet the needs of young children and families and we hope these additional resources can accelerate our collective action.”

To read the HHS-ED joint letter on mixed delivery approaches to early care and education and to learn more, visit: Dear Colleague Letter on Mixed Delivery | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov).

To read the Department of Education’s guidance on Title I, visit: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies (ESEA Title I, Part A) - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education .

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