Mass. Communities Awarded Preschool Grants

More than a dozen Massachusetts communities are sharing $500,000 in grants to develop strategic plans for providing high-quality preschool to more children.

The Department of Early Education and Care grants will help communities to conduct needs assessments and design public-private partnership plans to increase access to preschool programs for children ages 3 to 5.

The communities will assess the needs of families and children and identify available resources.

The grants target cities and towns that have multiple risk factors to children's educational success, including high rates of poverty and homelessness.

The grants are going to Athol, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Springfield, Somerville and Worcester and the Cape Cod Collaborative, which includes Dennis, Yarmouth, Chatham and Harwich.