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Federal PDG renewal funds workforce supports and an open‑source curriculum; providers raise caution
Summary
DCYF described Preschool Development Grant projects including preservice cohorts, career navigators, infant‑toddler coaching and an open‑source curriculum project. Providers voiced mixed reactions — supporting workforce investment but urging caution about curriculum design, contractor selection and implementation costs.
DCYF presented its Preschool Development Grant (PDG) renewal and sought feedback on workforce projects and an open‑source curriculum. Agency staff said the federal PDG (HHS) renewal continues system building work and adds some direct services.
Matt Judge and Delta Rother outlined the PDG priorities: update the needs assessment and early learning coordination plan, expand family engagement, strengthen workforce supports and quality recognition, and add a modest direct‑services component. Projects highlighted for ELAC and provider supports included a preservice training suite and cohort model, a streamlined staff‑qualifications resource, a career‑navigator role, health and well‑being supports for providers, expanded infant‑toddler coaching (b3Q I/FIND) and an open‑source curriculum co‑designed by educators.
Gretchen Starr Brunig and Michelle Roberts described workforce strategies focused on recruitment and retention: cohort‑based onboarding (including the required health and safety modules), a culturally and linguistically responsive delivery model, a navigator to coordinate scholarships and benefits, and pilot health and well‑being services that could be phased into a shared‑cost model.
Kelly Heikala described the infant/toddler expansion and the open‑source curriculum plan. She said DCYF intends to contract with Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington as the facilitator and to use educator design circles and multilingual simultaneous design. The stated goals are a free, evidence‑aligned curriculum with low‑cost implementation resources and communities of practice for educators. Kelly emphasized the curriculum is optional, not mandatory.
Several providers pushed back. Concerns included: (1) the state should not reinvent curricula already offered by many vendors; (2) the 63% figure cited by DCYF (programs reporting non‑evidence‑based or no curriculum in an Early Achievers sample) needs clarification and breakdown by center vs. family‑home providers; (3) implementation costs (kits, training) still exist even for 'free' curricula; and (4) contractor choice and past work (some cited Cultivate Learning’s role in PACE) warrant stronger provider involvement. DCYF staff acknowledged the concerns, said the PDG scope requires an open‑source curriculum project as written, and invited providers to join design circles and surveys to shape content and implementation.
On direct services, Matt said the renewal includes expansion of birth‑to‑3 ECAP by 75 slots and a contracted slot pilot for children with child‑welfare involvement; he noted years two and three of PDG funding depend on federal renewal.
What’s next: DCYF will collect feedback through surveys and design circles, publish opportunities to participate and follow up with data requests (for example, a breakdown of curriculum usage by program type). Staff asked members to complete PDG surveys and participated in a live Q&A.
