The Blueprint granted all three- and four-year-old children from families earning incomes at or below 300% Federal Poverty Level access to high-quality full-day Pre-K at no cost. The Maryland State Department of Education will ensure that families are aware of all Pre-K options available to them and the process for enrolling in the option chosen by the family.

The Prekindergarten Expansion Grant is a competitive grant program administered by the Division of Early Childhood at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It provides funding for local education agencies (LEAs) and private providers to administer high-quality prekindergarten and school readiness services throughout the State for children and their families in alignment with The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The purpose of the grant is to broaden availability and expand access to high-quality prekindergarten educational programming and school readiness services for three- year-old and four-year-old students from families with household incomes up to 300% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Grant Information Guide Guía De Información De La Subvención Grant Application

When will the application be open?

This Grant Information Guide was released on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity is designed for those who will deliver Prekindergarten services, including Local School Systems (LSSs) or qualified vendors (as defined in COMAR 13a.06.02) and/or private providers who:

• hold a valid license or registration.
• have not incurred any serious health or safety violations.
• are Head Start programs.

Application Submission Date

Friday, April 11, 2025. No later than 5:00 pm EST.

Customer Service Support Sessions

MSDE will hold six customer service support sessions for interested applicants. During these sessions, MSDE personnel will review what applicants need to get started, the program requirements, as well as a walk-through of the application. The same presentation and information will be used for each session.

Thursday, February 27, 2025
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Recording l Presentation

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 - Spanish
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Recording

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Recording

Thursday, March 6, 2025 - Spanish
Recording (Select the Globe on the bottom right menu bar to view in Spanish.)

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Recording

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Recording

Questions

If you have questions about the application or the process, please contact the Program Manager:

Nykia Washington, Prekindergarten Program Manager
Division of Early Childhood Development
Phone: (410) 767-0088
nykia.washington@maryland.gov

A list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers will be posted to the MSDE website following the customer support sessions.