Arizona Receives $8.4 Million for Early Education

One-Year Federal Grant to Strengthen Preschool Development in Arizona

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Read On Arizona, a statewide early literacy initiative, is excited to announce that Arizona was selected to receive $8.4 million in one-time, one-year federal funding to improve the quality of early care and education programs, promote family choice, and strengthen the state’s early childhood system.

Arizona is one of 23 states awarded the FY2025 Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) Systems-Building Grant, administered by the Office of Early Childhood Development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The project period runs through Dec. 30, 2026.

Arizona’s application was submitted by the Arizona Department of Education and developed in collaboration with Read On Arizona, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Arizona Head Start Association, First Things First, and the Governor’s Office.

“Read On Arizona was proud to play a critical role in the collaborative and coordinated efforts of ECE partners in putting together a successful PDG B-5 systems-building grant application,” said Lori Masseur, Director of Early Learning for Read On Arizona. “Partners identified critical elements, such as professional development for educators, regional family literacy hubs, fiscal mapping, and other systems-building strategies to improve the quality of early learning for Arizona’s youngest learners.”

Expanding access to high-quality early learning is one of the four key drivers of Arizona Literacy Plan 2030, which outlines the proven strategies and actions required to improve literacy outcomes for Arizona students. High-quality early education programs support language and early literacy development and help young children be ready to learn to read. State investment in preschool was a key strategy for Mississippi and other states that have made exceptional progress in early literacy in recent years.

“This funding provides Arizona with the opportunity to make targeted investments that strengthen the early childhood system, improve long-term sustainability, and support the success of our educators, youngest learners, and their families,” said Laura Lee, who leads the early childhood education team at ADE. “We extend our sincere appreciation to our valued partners, whose collaboration, leadership, and expertise were instrumental in the successful submission of this grant.”

About Read On Arizona

Launched in 2013, Read On Arizona is the state’s early literacy initiative. Partners in Read On Arizona take a collaborative approach to advance the strategies, policies, and investments needed for all Arizona children to learn to read at grade level and be successful in school, with strategic focus on improving school readiness and third grade reading proficiency. Read On Arizona provides leadership at the state level through an advisory board consisting of representatives from its founding partners—Arizona Department of Education, Arizona Community Foundation, First Things First, Helios Education Foundation, and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust—as well as the Arizona State Board of Education, the Governor’s Office, and several other key literacy stakeholders and philanthropic organizations. Read On Arizona also supports local literacy efforts through a network of Read On Communities. Learn more at ReadOnArizona.org.