Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pre K Expansion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
COA says pilot grants and technical assistance helped secure 354 pre-k seats and nearly $1.9M in state funds
Summary
COA described multi-year pilots that provided technical assistance, grant-writing support and small grants that COA says produced 354 community-based pre-k seats; COA framed the activity as systems-building leading to state grant wins and broader capacity.
Kimberly Resnick described COA's approach as systems-building through upstream and midstream interventions aimed at expanding pre-k access and strengthening providers. She said COA invested private philanthropic and matching public funds to provide grant-writing assistance and back-office support that helped community providers apply for MSDE pre-k grants.
Resnick said the coalition's pilots translated into measurable gains: "Midway through these pilots in fiscal year '24, there were 354 pre-k seats in community based settings, which translates into $1,900,000 in new state money in our jurisdiction," she said. COA also reported making four competitive grants totaling $168,000 to build family child care capacity, funded by a mix of philanthropic dollars and HHS/county support.
COA argued that the capacity-building and targeted grants were not direct service in the narrow sense because COA generally acts as an intermediary: it awards funds or contracts to organizations that deliver services to families and providers. Several councilmembers said the pilots demonstrated positive outcomes and asked staff to consider limited exceptions or clear guardrails if the committee restricts COA's ability to fund such projects.
