Preschool Development Birth through Five Initiative
The PDGB5 grant aims to strengthen existing early care and learning programs across NYS to provide children access to high-quality programming from birth through kindergarten.
PDGB5 Overview
PDGB5 grants are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care.
The current PDGB5 grant (9/2024 – 9/2027) is a multi-year award of $11 million per year. The project seeks to strengthen New York State’s early childhood system with a focus on equity to support easy access to comprehensive high quality services and programs for children and families. For an in-depth review of the activities included in this most recent round of funding, you can read CCF’s application here.
PDGB5 RENEWAL 2024 GOALS
1.
Maximize family participation and engagement in the state's mixed delivery system. Including expanding meaningful participation and leadership from parents, providers, community leaders, and faith based partners.
2.
Increase equity and access to early care and learning programs for children and families. This includes access for infants and toddlers, inclusion of children with disabilities or at risk of disabilities and children who are under-served.
3.
Increase early care and learning program alignment and quality improvements where all types of programs across the state, such as Head Start, child care centers, family child care, and public schools, work closely with other programs and supportive services. These include early intervention and home visiting
4.
Create seamless learning experiences from birth to elementary school; ensuring providers and families have the knowledge and resources to meet young children's needs.
5.
Support the early care and learning workforce. This includes initiatives to increase pay and benefits, professional development, support for gaining credentials and degrees, and support for staff health and well-being, including mental health.
6.
Prevent and reduce suspensions, expulsions, and other exclusionary practices for young children, especially in demographic groups that have been identified as being at higher risk for these practices.
7.
Promote the mental health and well-being of children, families, and providers and address trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
PDGB5 Renewal Projects (2024)
PDGB5 Renewal Grant (2024) projects and activities are grounded in the spirit of collaboration and fall into 6 focus areas of change. Click on the tabs below to learn more about these current initiatives.
Needs Assessment
Strategically update the PDGB5 Needs Assessment that delivers a nuanced understanding of the diversity of child and parent/caregiver needs, workforce well-being, and systems’ supply and demand.
Strategic Plan
Update the current PDGB5 Strategic Plan rooted in stronger collaboration and connection to state agency partners, community based organizations, early care and learning providers and parent/caregivers.
Maximize Family Participation
- Family Participation and Engagement Consultant: The consultant will lead the development of a renewed and more active statewide family engagement framework.
- Family and Community Engagement Liaison: Our liaison will develop a statewide outreach and education campaign to provide resources at statewide events and to community based organizations.
- Early Childhood Leadership Summit: Held bi-annually, the summit will provide the opportunity for cross-sector discussions to highlight effective local and state early childhood strategies.
- Development and Launch of Help Hub 2.0: As an enhancement to the existing site at helphubforfamilies.ny.gov, additions will include developmental health resources, the importance of early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, and how to support families and young children when there are concerns about development.
- Learn the Signs. Act Early. Collaborative Media Campaign: In collaboration with the NYS Cross System's Deputy Commissioners' Workgroup, a shared message and statewide media campaign will be launched to encourage parents to track children's developmental milestones and seek additional supports when there is a concern. List Item #2
- Transition Toolkit: Transition guidance for families will be developed in partnership with the NYS Department of Health, Bureau of Early Intervention that includes resources, developmental milestones, developmental screening, and information on how to refer to early intervention and effective transition practices into preschool special education.
- Pyramid Model Training with Youth: In partnership with the Office of Children and Family Services, Department of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth(DJJOY), specialized Pyramid Model trainers will be hired to provide Pyramid Model workshops in DJJOY facilities throughout New York State. m
Support the Workforce
- Scholarship Funds to Support Prior Learning Assessments: To support the pursuit of specialization in the early childhood field and career advancement, funds will provide scholarship support, for family and group family providers to receive prior learning assessments and associated credits.
- Expanding Registered Apprenticeships: In partnership with higher education, CCF will act as a group sponsor to support this pilot expansion of the Child Care Assistant Registered Apprenticeship.
- Aspire Registry Enhancement: The registry will be enhanced to improve the overall user interface and experience. This includes understanding how users navigate the site, inform training tips, provide career ladder guidance and career journey mapping.
- Data Integration of NYS Office of Children and Family Services Child Care Data System with the Aspire Workforce Registry System: The integration of these two key early childhood data systems will provide a more comprehensive picture of professional development across the early care and learning field and increase ease of use between the two platforms.
- Early Childhood Workforce Wellness Project: Under the guidance of an expert in systems change, CCF will convene a wellness project with early childhood system administrators, providers and parents to explore conditions in place preventing the adoption and implementation of wellness principles in the field.
- Increase Workforce Pay and Benefits: CCF will work with statewide partners to develop an expanded Career Ladder with accompanying policy recommendations to implement equitable and fair pay scales, as well as, explore opportunities to facilitate access to health benefits for family child care providers.
Support Quality Improvements
- Conduct Feasibility Study to Explore the Assignment of a Unique ID at Birth: The study will examine state and federal privacy laws that may impact the state's work, create processes to protect identifiable information and establish a data governance process.
- Rural Child Care Innovation Networks: Using a collective action approach, this project will work in partnership with local providers, teachers, chambers of commerce, banks, local businesses etc. to increase child care capacity in rural areas
- Increase Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships in Rural areas: The Rural Child Care Innovation Networks will work in partnership with the Early Head Start specialist to expand these opportunities.
Increase Statewide Pyramid Model Implementation
- Strategically Expand Capacity and Diversity of Pyramid Model Staff: To ensure Pyramid Model staff reflect New York's racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity, recruitment and hiring will be expanded and focused on reaching underrepresented groups.
- Expansion of Positive Solutions for Families Workshops: A newly hired Pyramid Model Policy Coordinator will partner with Community School networks and local districts to implement workshops with parents and caregivers. Those who complete the training will be encouraged to apply to be paid facilitators.
- Pyramid Model Impact Study: The study will be conducted based upon the implementation plan developed with PDGB5 Planning grant funds. The study will support improving data accuracy and availability in the Pyramid Model Implementation Data System, and strengthen partnerships between programs and families.
- Outreach and Web-based Infrastructure Development: Pyramid Model materials will be updated to add scripts and books that are inclusive of families from diverse backgrounds and languages. In addition, a dynamic web page will be developed to support ease of access for newly implementing programs and promotion of a consistent statewide message.
PDGB5 Projects 2018-2024
CCF was first awarded PDGB5 funds in 2018 and since has been awarded subsequent funding in 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Read more below on the projects that have been funded over the past 6 years.
Kindergarten Transition Practices
Kindergarten Transition ideas from community partners and school districts. Watch our 5 minute trailer to learn more or click below to watch the film.
Videos to Support Kindergarten Transition
Playlist
B5
Partners
B5 Contact
Patricia Persell, Early Childhood Policy Director,
NYS Head Start Collaboration Director
Council on Children and Families
nysb5@ccf.ny.gov
