PDG birth-5 system building grant - wisconsin will use the 2025 PDG b-5 systems-building grant to further accelerate our progress around three core priorities: (1) sharpening our focus and…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded $13.921 million to the State of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families on December 31, 2025, under the Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five Systems-Building program (CFDA 93.434) to accelerate statewide early care and education system development.

Wisconsin will deploy the funding to advance three core priorities: establishing a comprehensive, affordable, accessible mixed-delivery early childhood education system aligned with a shared statewide vision and cultivating state and local champions including business, community, and philanthropic partners to accelerate systems change and identify sustainable funding solutions; expanding engagement with families and caregivers to understand barriers to early childhood education access, creating seamless navigation experiences through improved information technology solutions, and strengthening program sustainability through better business practices and workforce investments; and solidifying a unified, coherent, interconnected state-level early childhood system with shared accountability for results and strategic investments.

The award runs through December 30, 2026, with place of performance in Wisconsin.

Sub-recipients and their deliverables include Thriving Wisconsin, Inc. (doing business as WI Child Care Improvement Project), which provides child care resource and referral administration services; WI Early Childhood Association Inc., which delivers shared services and early access programs; and Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health, Inc., which implements the Wisconsin Pyramid Model for early care and education providers.

PDG birth-5 system building grant - wisconsin will use the 2025 PDG b-5 systems-building grant to further accelerate our progress around three core priorities: (1) sharpening our focus and organizing our partners around a shared, comprehensive, statewide vision for ECE. This includes continuing to develop an affordable, accessible mixed delivery ECE system that meets the needs of families and a coherent and coordinated system that drives smart investments and delivers meaningful results. WI will continue to cultivate state and local champions and early childhood coalitions, including business, community, and philanthropic partners that can help accelerate systems change at the state and local levels and make ECE more affordable, accessible, and seamless for all families, including a range of innovative, sustainable funding solutions that bring down the cost of care for more WI families; (2) expanding who we work with and how we work together to break down obstacles that families experience in navigating complex systems and empower families to choose ECE programs and related services and supports that meet their needs. WI will engage families and caregivers to better understand their obstacles and challenges, work together to create seamless experiences for WI families accessing ECE through improved information technology solutions and navigation supports, and expand program availability and sustainability through stronger business practices and workforce investments; and (3) build on years of stronger collaboration and coordination to solidify a unified, coherent, interconnected state-level early childhood state system (ecss) that drives strategic investments for WI families, has shared accountability for results, and helps foster the conditions for the next generation of children to succeed and thrive.