When It’s Too Hot to Play, Sleep, or Learn: Supporting Children and Caregivers in a Warming World
When we think about young children and temperature, we often think about cold conditions and the protections needed to stay warm and safe. But how often do we consider the opposite: extreme heat? As climate change drives temperatures higher, extreme heat is becoming a more frequent and dangerous part of everyday life, especially for young children and caregivers living in under-resourced communities.
Environmental conditions, like heat exposure, aren’t just comfort issues—they’re critical developmental concerns. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can elevate stress on pregnant individuals, worsen chronic health conditions, and affect how young children play, sleep, and learn. For families already navigating economic and social instability, these environmental stressors can further impact healthy development and caregiver well-being.
This webinar invites you to expand your understanding of what it means to create healthy, equitable developmental environments. We explore how to build systems that not only respond to climate realities but actively support child and family development in a changing world.
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PDG B-5 SMART Grant: Resource Guide
Planning Tool October 28, 2026
This guide is for states applying for the 2026 PDG B-5 SMART Grant. It gathers vetted, mostly federal resources and organizes them by section of the application. The guide covers data infrastructure and data-sharing agreements, and each of the four cross-system scoring areas: Head Start integration, program integrity, unduplicated counts, and child welfare coordination. It also covers building a project performance evaluation plan. The October 2026 webinar recording and slides are included. The guide was compiled by the National TA Collaborative to Maximize Federal Early Childhood Investments.
Video: PDG B-5 SMART Grant Application
Archived Webinar October 28, 2026
In this October 2026 webinar recording, the National TA Collaborative to Maximize Federal Early Childhood Investments gives an overview of the PDG B-5 SMART Grant. Presenters show how to pick the investment option that fits your state and share tips for scoping a feasible 12-month project. They also cover managing the writing process, meeting the match requirement, and the ACF priorities attestation, and close with a Q&A. Applications are due November 20.
Webinar Deck: PDG B-5 SMART Grant Application
Archived Meeting Resources October 28, 2026
This deck is from the National TA Collaborative to Maximize Federal Early Childhood Investments’ October 2026 webinar on the PDG B-5 SMART Grant. Presenters gave an overview of the grant, showed how to pick the investment option that fits your state, and offered tips for scoping a feasible 12-month project. They also covered managing the writing process, meeting the match requirement, and the ACF priorities attestation. Applications are due November 20.