The First Five Year’s Fund , in conjunction with the offices of Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and John Katko (R-NY-24), hosted a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill on March 7 to discuss the benefits of the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program with Congressional staff. According to the news release, due to the substantial number of states that applied for PDG B-5 funding, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) decided to award as many first-year planning grants as possible, ultimately awarding grants to 46 states and territories that range from $538,000 to $10.6 million. These awards were made in December 2018. The State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) has announced that the state received $10.6 million to expand the scope of early childhood development for children ages 0-8 in Mississippi through this grant program.
The original grant is posted on the SECAC website, but the final approved grant has not been posted even though it has been received by the Mississippi Community College Board, official applicant of the grant. According to Danielle Ewen, Principal at Education Counsel, who discussed her work with states at the DC briefing, stakeholders and the general public in states must have opportunities to review the state plan and contribute ideas as to how funds are to be spent to best meet the needs of children in the state.
According to Dr. Andrea Mayfield, Executive Director, of the Community College Board, the content of the grant will be discussed at the next SECAC meeting which is scheduled for April 25. Attending this meeting is especially important for those who have any interest in advancing programs for children 0-8 given the funds must be expended by December 31 of this year with no possibility of funds being carried over into 2020. The only confirmed expenditure of the funds is in the form of a letter written on February 28 by Governor Phil Bryant to Shad White, State Auditor, “to conduct a performance-based audit of child-based programs within state departments or agencies that receive state or federal funds to protect or promote children’s health, safety, and education… with funding coming from the PDG B-5 grant.”
by Dr. Cathy Grace