For more information about the 

Preschool Development and Expansion Grant 

Technical Assistance Program, 

log on to the program website 

www.pdgta.org or http://ceelo.org/pde-ta.

U.S. Department of Education 

Office of Early Learning

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschool

developmentgrants/index.html

PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM

The Preschool Development Grants fund

two types of grants: 

DEVELOPMENT GRANTS • Development Grants are for states that 

currently serve less than 10 percent of 

four-year-olds and have not received 

a Race to the Top – Early Learning 

Challenge grant.

• States with Development Grants are 

required to implement and sustain 

high-quality preschool programs in 

high-need communities.

• A minimum of 65 percent of the award 

must be used to implement high-quality 

preschool programs.

EXPANSION GRANTS • Expansion Grants are for states that 

currently serve 10 percent or more of 

four-year-olds or have received a Race to 

the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant.

• States with Expansion Grants are 

required to implement and sustain 

high-quality preschool programs in 

high-need communities.

• A minimum of 95 percent of the award 

must be used to implement high-quality 

preschool programs.
$ 

$ 

$ 

$

WHAT IS THE PRESCHOOL 

DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PROGRAM?

TOTAL CHILDREN 

SERVED BY THE

END OF YEAR 4

*

171,489

TOTAL CHILDREN 

SERVED: YEAR 1

31,391

TOTAL CHILDREN

SERVED: YEAR 2

39,669

KEY

Development Grantee Expansion Grantee

AL

TN

NV

AZ

MT

AR

LA

IL

VA

NY

VT ME

MA RI CT

NJ

MD

HI

40,216

newly created slots

Children to

be served by 250

to be served

High-need

30,844 communities

to be improved

Existing

PreK slots

YEARS ONE & TWO

In December 2014, the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services awarded grants totaling $226M to 18 states and in October 2015, the 

year two awards were announced, totalling $237M.

$226M

$237M

$510M 

$985M 

STATE MATCHING FUNDS

$475M 

FEDERAL AWARD

Y1 Y2

$563M 

$226M

(Y1)

$237M

(Y2)

$510M

(Y2)

$985M 

STATE MATCHING FUNDS

$475M

(Y1)

FEDERAL AWARDS

$563M 

$226M

$237M

$510M $701M 

FEDERAL AWARDS | STATE MATCHING FUNDS

$475M

Y1 Y2

$747M 

The Preschool Development Grants program supports state efforts to 

build or enhance their infrastructure to provide high-quality preschool 

programs and expand high-quality preschool programs in high-need 

communities. Grantees will:

Create or expand high-quality, inclusive preschool 

programs in high-need communities;

Build infrastructure and fund quality improvements to 

support high-quality preschool programs;

Ensure strong partnerships between school and early 

learning community providers;

Align curricula and instruction within a birth through 

third grade continuum;

Create sustainable programs by coordinating existing 

early learning funds; and

Use federal grant dollars and other matching funds to 

support their efforts. 

$

NOTE: Newly created and improved slots, and number of children served figures are derived from FY2014 Preschool Development Grants applications.

*One child pictured is equal to approximately 1,000 children served