National Association of Counties
On September 13, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced $300 million in new funding and accompanying guidance to support state and local government investments in the early childhood workforce. Counties welcome these new resources, which may strengthen our ongoing efforts to help this critical sector recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to ACF, 35 states and territories can now apply for $266 million in renewal and planning grants under the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program, which supports improvements to federal, state and local early care and learning investments. Recipients are encouraged to invest these funds in the early childhood workforce through compensation initiatives, developing pathways to licensure, credentialing and degrees. Counties providing home visiting services, operating Head Start programs and/or supporting mixed delivery child care systems may benefit from these new investments.
Additionally, ACF has announced $30 million for a new National Early Childhood Workforce Center to support research and technical assistance for recruitment and retention of an effective and diverse pipeline of early educators across multiple settings. County governments are eligible to apply for these new funds individually or as part of a consortium.
Along with these new funding opportunities, ACF released new program guidance for PDG B-5 programs, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and the Head Start program encouraging grantees to make strategic investments to increase staff recruitment and retention.
Counties, which administer CCDF in 8 states and serve as Head Start grantees across the nation, welcome federal action to support and sustain an increased living wage for child care workers while also ensuring all families have access to affordable, high-quality early care and education for children under age five.
