Preschool Development Grant

Minnesota received a three-year $26.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review and improve how the state supports pregnant families and families with children age 5 and younger.

​Minnesota’s Preschool Development Birth through Five grant works to remove barriers so families with young children can access life-changing early childhood programs. In partnership with the Minnesota Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, along with the Children’s Cabinet, the grant aims to align education and care systems across the state. By investing in early childhood now means stronger communities in the future.

Working Together to Improve Early Childhood Systems
Music: www.bensound.com

The Preschool Development Grant contains two phases:

Planning Grant: Needs Assessment and Community Engagement

The needs assessment and community engagement events took place December 2018 through December 2019 as part of the Preschool Development Planning Grant.

Through a partnership with communities most affected, a needs assessment was completed and used to create a strategic plan. The strategic plan helped set up priorities for the next phase. Results from this phase include:
  • Early Childhood Data Use Workgroup
  • Parent communication strategies
  • Transitions from prekindergarten to Kindergarten
  • Multilingual learner supports
  • Trauma-informed toolkit
  • Marketing for recruitment and retention of the early childhood workforce website and brochure.
  • Parent Aware future directions
  • Mental health consultation
  • Improving the training system
  • Embedding additional Knowledge and Workforce Competencies
  • State staff equity training
More information is available on the Needs Assessment and Community Engagement webpage.

Renewal Grant: Make Improvements and Continue Community Engagement

Beginning in January 2020 and ending December 31, 2022, the Preschool Development Grant will focus on areas identified as priories by communities most affected.

The focus will be aligning and coordinating Minnesota’s multiple systems to better serve families. During this phase, Minnesota will continue community engagement with key stakeholders. Priorities are:
  • Fund Help Me Connect, a centralized system to directly connect families and those working with families to resources. It will also serve as a direct referral to programs and services.
  • Invest in community solutions to community-identified challenges, prioritizing people of color and American Indians.
  • Pilot 6-10 local, cross-agency hubs to use as a prevention strategy and to test Help Me Connect.
  • Increase information sharing between state agencies and explore ways families can apply to multiple state programs through one application. Focus will be on coordinating eligibility and services for families.
  • Early childhood workforce supports.
  • Update needs assessment and strategic plan in 2022 to guide future work.

  • Preschool Development Grant Guiding Principles - 1/11/21
    Summary that defines the guiding principles of the Preschool Development Grant work: Racial Equity, Trauma and Healing Informed, Intersectionality, Interagency Collaboration, Geographic Responsiveness, Whole Family Systems, and Belonging and Inclusion.
  • Preschool Development Grant Timeline - 1/6/21
    Summary of Preschool Development Grant projects. Includes milestones and future activities.

Grant Work Summary Documents

Press Releases and Presentations

Press Release: New community hubs connect families with resources

  • Preschool Development Grant Overview - 2/9/21
    A 22-minute presentation covering the general goals and activities of Minnesota’s Preschool Development Grant.
  • Help Me Connect Information Session - 10/29/20
    Minnesota Help Me Connect is an online navigator designed to help providers connect pregnant individuals and families with young children (birth – 8 years old) with services available in their local communities. This webinar discusses the history, development, and the launch of the Help Me Connect navigator. To request a copy of the slides, contact HelpMeConnect@state.mn.us.

Planning Grant Overview

Renewal Grant Overview

  • Preschool Development Grant Mid-Grant Report  - 9/21/21
    Reporting highlighting the work and successes of the Preschool Development Grant halfway through the three-year funding period.
  • Renewal Grant Summary  - 2/26/20
    Minnesota was awarded a renewal grant to continue the work of the Preschool Development Planning Grant. This summary includes activities within the proposal to be implemented between December 31, 2019 – December 30, 2022.
  • Minnesota Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth-Five (B-5) Renewal Grant  - 1/13/20
    Minnesota Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth-Five (B-5) Renewal Grant is Minnesota’s application for federal funding. The state was awarded this three-year $26.7 million federal grant beginning December 31, 2019. The document outlines the state’s proposed activities, timelines and budget. Note that the state was awarded less than application so activities and budgets are subject to change.

Translated Documents