Preschool Development Grant Activities Extended

California received a no-cost extension from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) for several initial Preschool Development Grant (PDG–I) activities, through June 2020. The CDE is currently working with contractors as they move toward completion of deliverables, and will then focus on final reporting to the ACF. In addition to the PDG Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan, the PDG–I funded activities across the early learning and care (ELC) system, including: (1) launching of Parent Cafés throughout the state, (2) strengthening workforce training opportunities, and (3) completing foundational planning to take state level steps on creating a parent portal related to consumer education and early childhood integrated and an online professional development system.

Detailed highlights will be posted on the PDG website as projects are completed. Examples of PDG-I accomplishments include:

• Parent Cafes: In collaboration with the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), local child care resource and referral (R&Rs) agencies have been working together to strengthen their relationships with parents in their communities. The Parent Café experience was created to give parents tools to increase family strength and resilience. By the end of 2019, the R&R agencies hosted 97 Parent Cafés (in English, Spanish, and Cantonese), connecting with 1,059 parents throughout the state. Some Parent Cafés reached specific groups such as grandparents and parents in tribal communities. It is anticipated that a total of 112 Parent Cafés will take place through the PDG-I.
• CELNAR: As a part of the PDG Needs Assessment process, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has developed a new website that presents data on California’s child population, ELC needs, and enrollment in ELC programs. This free, publicly available website, the California Early Learning Needs Assessment Reports (CELNAR) is located at https://reports.elneedsassessment.org/ReportsHome.aspx. The CELNAR provides users with access to reports for the state, individual counties, and groups of counties on the supply and demand for ELC programs for children age birth through five.