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Department of Early Learning and Care awarded nearly $7.5M PDG; subcommittee retroactively approved application
Summary
The Department of Early Learning and Care told the subcommittee it won nearly the full $7.5 million Preschool Development Grant (PDG B-5) and sought retroactive approval for the application; the grant requires a 30% state match (~$2.2M) that the agency plans to pay with existing general-fund staff time and will use contracted subject-matter experts to augment staff, and the subcommittee moved the request to the full committee with LFO backing.
The Department of Early Learning and Care told the Education Subcommittee on Jan. 14 that it applied on short notice for a federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG Birth through 5) to support statewide systems integration and was notified in early January that the application was successful for nearly the full $7.5 million.
“For the record, my name is Cooper Brown. … We applied for about $7,500,000,” said Cooper Brown, deputy director of operations for the Department of Early Learning and Care. Brown said the agency was notified in early January it had been awarded “almost that full 7.5, a little bit about $120,000 less than that.”
Brown told the committee the PDG is focused on statewide systems integration to reduce fragmentation across policies, programming and funding streams and to strengthen governance, data and family navigation of early learning programs. The grant period requires that all activities be completed within calendar year 2026.
Brown said the federal award carries a 30% state match requirement (approximately $2.2 million). He said DELC intends to use existing general fund budget and staff time — not new FTEs — to meet the match largely through staff activities already aligned with the work. The agency will augment staff capacity with contracted subject-matter experts; Brown said the agency has more than a dozen contracts associated with the work.
Ben DeYoung (DAS Chief Financial Office) recommended approval of the request; the Legislative Fiscal Office also recommended the joint interim committee approve it. A co-chair moved the request to the full committee with the LFO recommendation; the subcommittee raised no objection and forwarded the request.
Next steps: the request will be considered by the full committee; DELC officials said they will provide further specifics as the work is developed and will report on outcomes once activities are underway.
