Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Informational Session

Innovation - Early Learning - PreK Partnership Info Session

Is your school administrative unit (SAU) interested in starting or expanding public Pre-K with a community partner for the upcoming 2024-25 school year?  If so, the Maine DOE’s Early Learning Team invites you to attend an informational session regarding a Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant opportunity we anticipate releasing this Spring.

Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Informational Session

  • Date: March 13, 2024
  • Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • Description: To review the grant and pilot opportunity and anticipated requirements.
  • Register here

Through funding provided by Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant, the Maine Department of Education intends to conduct a pilot to provide grant funding to School Administrative Units (SAUs) to increase the number of eligible 4-year-olds attending high-quality public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programming in licensed community partner settings (center-based and family child care). To realize its goal of reaching universal access to public Pre-K, the state will need to increase the number of partnerships with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center-based and family child care) to ensure equitable access to high-quality early care and education, especially for our most vulnerable children.

Applicant SAUs awarded these grant funds will be required to partner with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center-based and family child care) to provide either full-day/full week or half-day/full week Pre-K programming. For this pilot, Head Start partnerships will not be considered.  A partnership is characterized by meaningful involvement in the planning, developing, and delivering of the proposed program for students and families.

The informational session will be recorded in case an interested entity isn’t able to attend. Following the informational session, interested SAUs/community partners should monitor the DOE Newsroom and the Division of Procurement Services site for the release of the RFA.

Questions may be directed to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K Partnership Specialist at michelle.belanger@maine.gov.