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).
This Grant Information Guide (GIG) was re-released on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
Friday, April 11, 2025. No later than 5:00 pm EST.
$26,644,000 is available. Awards in the amount of $400,000 is the estimated average grant amount.
Fifty (50)
MSDE will hold six customer service support sessions for interested applicants. During these sessions, MSDE personnel will provide an overview of the application process. The sessions will be on:
Additionally, MSDE will hold four open office hour sessions. During these sessions, MSDE personnel will answer questions regarding the application and application process.
The office hours will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on the following dates:
Office Hours Registration
If you have questions about the application or the process, please contact the Program Manager:
Dr. Nykia Washington
Prekindergarten and Mixed Delivery Program Manager, Division of Early Childhood
Office: (410) 767-0088
nykia.washington@maryland.gov
Following customer service support sessions, a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers will be posted to the MSDE website.
Grant Information Guide (English) (PDF)
Grant Information Guide (Spanish) (PDF)
Application for Participation (Online)
Pre-K Expansion Grant Application Worksheet (PDF)