The Local Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) Quality Improvement Grant Guide
Purpose
The Local Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) Quality Improvement Grant Fiscal Year 2024 is a competitive grant administered by the Division of Early Childhood at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It provides funding for the 24 local early childhood advisory councils throughout Maryland.
The Local ECAC Quality Improvement grant serves to support advisory councils in the required periodic assessment of local early childhood needs, identifying the opportunities and barriers to collaboration and coordination of programs, and assessing the capacity and effectiveness of local programs for developing early childhood educators. This program provides the resources for local early childhood advisory councils to compile data and conduct activities necessary to facilitate the State Early Childhood Advisory Council in achieving its goals.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint) seeks to significantly increase investment in high-quality early childhood education so that all children can begin kindergarten ready to learn. The Local ECAC Quality Improvement grant supports the Blueprint’s strategy toward substantially increasing the availability of early childhood education opportunities and the number of early childhood educators entering and remaining in the field.
When will the application be open?
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Application Submission Date
Thursday, August 31, 2023. No later than 5:00 p.m. EST
Customer Service Support Sessions
The MSDE will hold 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. To attend a virtual session, please see the dates, times, and registration links below:
Customer Service Support Session 1
Thursday, July 6, 2023
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Recording
Customer Service Support Session 2
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Recording
Customer Service Support Session 3
Thursday, July 13, 2023
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Video call link
Questions
If you have questions about the application or the process, please contact the Program Monitor:
Alberta Stokes
Early Childhood Coordinator
(410) 767-0112
alberta.stokes1@maryland.gov
A list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers will be posted to the MSDE website following customer service support sessions.