Warner, Kaine Announce $17.5 Million In Federal Grants For Virginia Preschools

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced that Virginia preschools have been awarded $17.5 million in grants from the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue their work ‎expanding access to high-quality preschool for children from low- to moderate-income families in the communities of Brunswick, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Giles, Henrico, Norfolk, Petersburg, Prince William, Richmond, Sussex, and Winchester.

Both Senators have advocated for quality early childhood education since their days as governor. Kaine expanded the Virginia Preschool Initiative by increasing Pre-K enrollment by 40 percent in the Commonwealth. Warner helped secure funding for Virginia’s Smart Beginnings program, an initiative that helps local communities deliver on ensuring conditions for a strong, healthy start for young children and their families.

“During each of our governorships, we worked tirelessly to improve and expand quality education to more Virginians,” said the Senators. “These continued federal grants are a testament to our Commonwealth’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality preschool, as it is a key to a promising economic future.”

In the Senate, they have both supported the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 and backed continued Preschool Development Grant funding as well as authorizing the Grants in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The grants comprise the third year of awards to states that are working with local communities to prepare the nation’s most vulnerable children for success in school and beyond. This year ED recognized Virginia for serving more children under the grant than originally planned.  

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