United Way of Greater Charlottesville is offering grant funding to support early childhood care and education programs by expanding equitable access to high-quality early learning and enhancing program quality. The FY26 School Readiness Impact Grant supports efforts to expand equitable access to high-quality early learning, enhance program quality, and advance workforce stability. Workforce investments, including teacher compensation and retention supports, may be included when they directly support access, quality, or sustainability goals. Applications are due March 20, 2026. Click here to apply!
A New Opportunity FOR ECCE Programs
We are excited to announce a new grants program for early childhood care and education (ECCE) providers in the Greater Charlottesville Area. Our School Readiness Impact Grants program aims to help local providers expand access to their programs and improve program quality. Workforce investments, including teacher compensation and retention supports, may be included when they directly support access, quality, or program sustainability. This grant initiative is now accepting applicants here. This grant initiative will open on March 2, 2026. All applications are due by March 20, 2026.
To apply for funding, applicants must outline plans to use the grant money for at least one of the following goal categories:
- Increasing Access and Program Expansion: Adding program slots, updating classroom facilities, hiring additional qualified staff
- Enhancing Program Quality: Enriching curriculum, updating educational materials, offering ongoing professional development for teachers, and implementing best practices in early childhood education
Note: Workforce investments, such as teacher compensation, benefits, professional development, or retention supports, may be included within either category when they directly support access, quality, or sustainability goals.
This grant program represents one of our three core impact areas that focus our organization’s mission to help all families thrive: School Readiness, Financial Stability, and Connected Community. The School Readiness impact area includes services, programs, and other initiatives that help provide local families with high-quality care and education so that all children can arrive at school ready to learn and succeed.
Adding to Our Work Around Early Childcare and Education
While the School Readiness Impact Grants program continues to evolve, our work helping to improve the state of early childhood care and education in our region is longstanding. United Way of Greater Charlottesville serves as the lead organization for Ready Region Blue Ridge, through which we oversee several initiatives in support of this mission. In this role, we have supported the growth of new and existing early learning and childcare centers, helping to increase the availability of local childcare slots across the region.
We have also helped simplify the preschool application process by building the Go2Grow enrollment portal, which helps qualifying local families explore, compare, and apply for free or reduced-cost care and education programs. The Go2Grow enrollment portal continues to support families across the region and is live for the upcoming school year.
Clifton Wise, Director of School Readiness Systems Development, shared his excitement about the upcoming grant cycle: “The School Readiness Impact Grants are an opportunity to invest not just in individual programs, but in the systems that help children and families thrive. This funding is designed to support innovative, practical approaches that expand access to high-quality early learning, strengthen program quality, and build a more stable early childhood workforce. We’re excited to partner with providers and considering there is currently a shortfall of more than 8,000 childcare slots in the Blue Ridge region, grant funding programs like this one play a vital role in ensuring accessible, high-quality early childhood care and education is available to those in our area who need it.
Ravi Cooper, our President & CEO, explained how these programs provide lasting benefits to our community: “Our work with families across the region continues to reinforce how essential access to quality, dependable childcare is to a community’s overall well-being. When early childhood programs are strong and supported, children are better prepared to succeed in school and families are better positioned to pursue stability and opportunity. By investing in early learning, we’re strengthening the foundation that allows both children and families to grow, contribute, and thrive. We’re proud to support this work and the organizations making it possible.”
Help Us Spread the Word
Our team will notify School Readiness Impact Grant applicants following the close of the application period if they have been selected to receive funding. We encourage qualifying early childhood providers and partner organizations in our area to apply and welcome everyone’s help in spreading the word!