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In its second year of operation, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education is gearing up for another season.

This past Dec., Gov. Kay Ivey  announced that the ADECE was awarded $33 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education for a renewal of Alabama’s Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) initiative over the next three years.

With this expansion, Ivey was focused on the importance of the youth.

“Alabama’s youngest citizens are the future of our state, which is why I am so proud to welcome this critical funding. As we continue to grow our First Class Pre-K program, we must also expand its learning methods and best practices from birth through third grade,” Governor Ivey said.

“When students are successful in their first few years of school, they are much more likely to be successful throughout their life. I applaud Secretary Jeana Ross and her team at the Department of Early Childhood Education for their important work in securing these funds, and of course, for securing a strong future for the children of Alabama.”

With the support of a PDG B-5 renewal grant, Alabama will continue long-standing efforts to expand access to high quality early childhood care and education for all children. The renewal grant will build upon the successes of the nationally-recognized First Class Pre-K, First Teacher Home Visiting, and Pre-K – 3rd Grade Integrated Approach to Early Learning (P-3) programs.

During 2019, the Department of Early Childhood Education, along with 100 other state agencies and non-governmental organizations, completed a comprehensive assessment of early care and education needs in the state of Alabama and constructed a strategic plan to meet these needs. The PDG B-5 renewal grant will ensure Alabama continues to deliver high quality early childhood care and education while expanding access to programs that support all children, especially low-income, rural, disadvantaged children.

Locally, there are currently 6 programs throughout the county. These programs include:

Brewton Elementary Pre-K 1, Flomaton Elementary Pre-K 1, Rachel Patterson Elementary Pre-K 1, , Rachel Patterson Elementary Pre-K 2, W.S. Neal Elementary Pre-K 1,  and W.S. Neal Elementary Pre-K 2.