JMU CARE™ and Mixed Delivery
The Mixed Delivery Grant program was developed by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) in 2016 to provide affordable preschool education to Virginia families. JMU Early Childhood Initiatives (the predecessor of JMU CARE) supported the mixed delivery effort with data collection, outreach, and classroom support from 2019-2024. The Mixed Delivery Grant is a Preschool Development Grant (PDG)
What is the Mixed Delivery Grant?
High-quality preschool can have a powerful impact on a child’s readiness for school and life. Mixed Delivery allows for parent choice among high-quality options that meet the needs of their child and family. In 2016, with support from the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly, VECF launched the Mixed Delivery Preschool Pilot Program to support public-private preschool delivery. In 2020, building on the success of these Mixed Delivery pilots, the program expanded with a new focus on increasing access and funding for preschool slots in private child care programs. (Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, 2021). This grant allows for children who would not have the opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool the opportunity to attend.
More specifically, PDG is a data-collection grant, allowing state leaders to take a snapshot of the current landscape of early childhood in Virginia, and use that information to inform improvement strategies. PDG also focuses on quality measurement by assessing curriculum and teacher-child interactions. To measure teacher-child interactions, PDG uses a tool called CLASS from UVA/Teachstone. Rather than testing children, the CLASS tool utilizes certified reliable observers to note and measure the teacher behaviors research has shown to have the best outcomes for children. Teachers receive a CLASS score and focused feedback from their observer in an effort to help them continually improve their teaching practice (Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, 2021).
List of Providers
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