§9407 Uses of funds

Summary

Under section 9409, grant money must pay for voluntary early learning programs that are likely to give children lasting learning gains. Lead State Agencies and Local Councils must use the funds for at least three of eight types of activities. These include helping parents, caregivers, providers, and teachers support children’s thinking, language, social-emotional, and motor skills; teaching parenting skills; improving early reading and language; linking local early learning programs with each other and with health services; increasing access for young children with special needs (including developmental delays); expanding hours, serving more children, or making programs more affordable for low-income families; raising program quality through training, better pay, and recruitment/retention incentives for providers; and removing barriers like transportation or lack of programs during nontraditional work times. Each Lead State Agency designated under section 9409(c) and each Local Council getting a grant must work with local schools to identify the skills children need for school readiness, make sure funded programs take age‑appropriate steps toward those skills, and ensure both children cared for at home and those in other settings benefit. Programs that normally charge must adjust costs based on a family’s ability to pay.