CAPSULE COLLECTION: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five (PDG B-5)

In A Nutshell

Due to limited budgets and capacity, many states struggle to support the important activities – like data collection, research, infrastructure development, and other quality initiatives – that can make their child care and early learning programs operate more effectively. 

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program helps address these challenges by offering a unique source of funding that enables states to strengthen, align, and expand their early learning systems.

These competitive federal grants: 

• Help states improve quality and safety across child care programs.
• Improve state collaboration across multiple child care and early learning programs, systems, and agencies to identify what’s working, what’s not, and what to do about it.
• Assist states in collecting data, so they can make programs work more effectively and efficiently.

Funding for PDG B-5 is determined each year through the Appropriations process in Congress. 

Deeper Dive: Resources And Information

• Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) overview: This overview provides a deeper look at PDG B-5 – what it is, how it works, what it does. 
• The National PDG Map: This map highlights PDG B-5 funding for each state and how states have used it to help child care and early learning programs work more effectively. 
• Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five: This handy chart shows the PDG funding received by each state since the program began in 2018. 
• QUOTES: Governors show support for Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding: Republican and Democratic governors across the nation have expressed support for PDG B-5 funding and the impact it can have on child care programs. 
• Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2026: PDG B-5 receives federal funding through the annual appropriations process in Congress—here’s a quick look at the levels suggested for FY26. 
• STATEMENT: FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling on Senate Markup of FY26 Funding Levels for Child Care and Early Learning Programs: Senate Appropriators have suggested level funding for PDG B-5 for FY2026— check out FFYF’s statement from Executive Director Sarah Rittling. 

Actions

Funding for PDG B-5 is determined through the annual appropriations process in Congress. Senate Appropriators have advised level funding for the program in FY2026. Today, it is important to urge House Appropriators to do the same, ensuring this important program can support states in better creating a safe, stable, effective child care system for families with young children.