Hoyer Announces Grant Funding to Expand Preschool in the Fifth District

WASHINGTON, DC – Today,Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) announced that the state of Maryland has been awarded $15 million through the U.S. Department of Education's Preschool Development Grant program to expand high-quality preschool programs. Eighteen school districts across Maryland will receive grant funding, including four in the Fifth District: Anne Arundel, Charles, Prince George's, and St. Mary's public school systems. The Maryland State Department of Education will use the funding to expand access to prekindergarten for families who previously did not meet income eligibility requirements to enroll in the programs.

"This funding will expand high-quality early education in Maryland, helping more students access preschool programs," said Congressman Steny Hoyer. "I'm a proud supporter of early childhood education because I've seen firsthand what a difference it makes in helping to ensure that our students have a strong foundation. The Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Centers, or ‘Judy Centers,' which I helped established and are named after my late wife Judy, have been highly successful in closing the achievement gap and promoting school readiness, andshould serve as a model for our state and nation of how preschools can prepare children for elementary school. This grant funding will provide important support to preschool programs throughout the Fifth District. I will continue to work to ensure that our state remains a recognized leader in the early childhood education services that are critical to our children's success later in life."

Preschool Development Grants support efforts by states to build or enhance their infrastructure to provide high-quality preschool programs and expand high-quality preschool programs in high-need communities. Maryland is one of 18 states that will serve as a model for expanding preschool to all 4-year-olds from low- and moderate-income families.