Funding Streams to Support Transition

There are numerous federal funding streams that can be used to support transition activities. States and localities can coordinate different funding streams to meet state goals for supportive and effective transitions.

ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act): Administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), ESSA was signed into law December 2015 and governs K–12 public education policy. ESSA includes attention to children’s transition from pre-K to K. State education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) can use Title I and Title II dollars to support transitions, which can include joint professional training activities for pre-K and early elementary. LEAs must develop a MOU with Head Start programs to, among other things, support smooth transitions. LEAs using Title I funds for pre-K must describe how they will coordinate a transition plan with those programs. They are also required to include other early childhood education programs in such MOUs with LEAs, if feasible, which could include those offered in a variety of settings.

ED’s 2016 non-regulatory early learning guidance suggests possible transition activities such as sharing assessment data, offering summer learning opportunities, engaging families, and providing joint professional development opportunities. ED’s guidance also elevates the recurring themes in ESSA of alignment, collaboration, and coordination and points to vertical alignment up through third grade as one way to meet these goals. Vertical alignment means linking pre-K and K–12 data and coordinating standards, curricula, instruction, assessment, expectations, and classroom strategies, which can ease the transition for children and families.

The Preschool Development Grant Birth-to-Five (PDG B–5) program, which was established through ESSA, is focused on strengthening states’ integrated ECE systems to prepare children for kindergarten. States are encouraged to build relationships across early childhood programs and improve transitions into kindergarten. Recent applications have encouraged states to assess their current transition practices and needs.

Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG): CCDBG is administered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and funds states, territories, and tribal entities to create child care subsidy programs for low-income families with children under age 13. States have significant discretion in CCDBG implementation. They must explain how they will coordinate with other early childhood programs. They can leverage CCDBG dollars to bring educators together for planning and training purposes. Additionally, through dollars required to be set aside for quality, states can fund training as well as other activities they deem necessary to improve outcomes for children entering kindergarten.

Head Start: Administered by HHS, the Head Start Act includes a section dedicated to transition and alignment with K–12 education as well as several other mentions of transition throughout the law. Funding can be used for training with both Head Start and school staff to smooth transitions, and programs are encouraged to think about all areas of transition for children and their families, as well as for partners. Funding can be used to promote family involvement in school once children are in kindergarten by preparing families for elementary school expectations. Head Start programs are also required to establish MOUs with local school districts. The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has developed guidance to improve the quality and content of transitions at the district level.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Administered by ED, IDEA emphasizes smoothing transitions from early intervention to special education preschool to K–12 special and general education. IDEA Part C provides early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. IDEA Part B provides special education and related services to children and youth ages three through 21. Under Title I of ESSA, SEAs must coordinate with other programs providing services to young children, including IDEA. Additionally, states must provide parents with guidance to help with transitions.

Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV): Administered by HHS, MIECHV supports states, territories, and nonprofit organizations in implementing evidence-based home visiting programs. Home visiting programs support the transition into parenthood and may serve families until their children enter kindergarten. MIECHV connects parents to needed social services and encourages the coordination of such programs.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act: Authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), McKinney-Vento provides supports and protections for children experiencing homelessness. The act requires LEAs to coordinate with local social services agencies or other entities that serve this population of children and their families. It also requires students to be able to stay in their original school, and requires schools to register students experiencing homelessness even if they lack required documents.

Coronavirus relief funds: Over the last year and a half, there has been an influx of federal money to support early education programs in COVID-19 recovery. They include the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), and the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

• CARES Act: Signed into law March 2020, the CARES Act provided $2.2 trillion in economic relief, which included $3.5 billion in CCDBG funding. These funds are intended to provide continued payment and assistance to child care providers that experience decreased enrollment or closure due to the pandemic as well as help providers reopen their programs if they were forced to close. The money was also designated to provide child care to essential workers, including health care employees, emergency responders, and sanitation workers without regard to the usual income eligibility requirements. The CARES Act included $750 million for Head Start programs to respond to the needs of children and families. The CARES Act also established ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) with $13.5 billion to assist schools in recovering from the pandemic. States receive funds based on the same proportion used for ESEA Title-IA.
• CRRSA Act (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act): Signed into law December 2020, CRRSA provided $10 billion in supplemental CCDF funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. States, territories, and tribes have until September 30, 2022 to obligate the funds.
• ARP (American Rescue Plan): This $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill was signed into law March 2021. The bill includes $39 billion in child care relief funding: $15 billion for CCDBG and $24 billion for a Child Care Stabilization Fund. It also includes $1 billion for Head Start programs and an expansion of the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and the child and dependent care tax credit.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families): TANF assists families with children when parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for basic needs. The federal government provides grants to states to run the TANF program and each state and territory decides eligibility criteria and benefits.

Private money, such as money from local philanthropies or community organizations can provide funding to strengthen alignment across sectors and programs.