Educator & Workforce Grants
Educator & Workforce Grants for Teachers
Grants for teachers through Cincinnati Preschool Promise help support educator recruitment, retention, and equitable compensation to strengthen preschool education.
The Cincinnati Preschool Promise prioritized initiatives that support educators, leaders, and future professionals in our network. One of our community’s greatest challenges in expanding the availability of high-quality preschool is in attracting and retaining qualified educators. Recruitment, retention, and equitable compensation are the goals of our workforce efforts. By supporting our teachers, we are investing in the long-term quality of preschool education. CPP’s key workforce initiatives include Teacher Promise Grants (TPG), Teacher Advancement Stipends (TAS), Staff Support Funds (SSF), and Teacher Completion Grants.
CPP regularly gathers input from our stakeholders, including teachers, center directors, preschool owners & operators, early education students, and other workforce partners to identify opportunities to stabilize and expand the profession. A survey of CPP Community Providers found that our workforce grants encourage teacher retention, result in higher wages, improve teacher satisfaction, support work-life balance, and advance the overall sustainability of a high-quality preschool program.
Teacher Promise Grants for Lead Teachers at Tuition Assistance Providers
This grant for teachers offers wage supplements and bonuses to support long-term employment and professional growth.
As a preschool teacher, your hard work ensures our youngest learners are in good hands— and keeping talented teachers like you is an imperative of Cincinnati Preschool Promise. If you’re a teacher at one of our Cincinnati Preschool Promise-approved providers, you may be eligible for professional development, CPP Plus initiatives, and grants.
Lead preschool teachers at Tuition Assistance Providers, with a SUTQ Silver or Gold Award, may be eligible for wage supplements of up to $5,000 per year, plus Teacher Advancement Bonuses of up to $1,000 for professional development or educational advancement. Teacher Promise Grants are made directly to teachers.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for this Cincinnati grant for teachers, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be employed full-time (35 hrs.) as a Lead Preschool Teacher
- TA site must have a minimum of 10% CPP Student Preschool Enrollment
- Must be employed for six weeks at the time of application
- Minimum Level 3 Career Pathways
To remain eligible for the Teacher Promise Grant, preschools must actively maintain preschool enrollment through Cincinnati Preschool Promise’s Tuition Assistance program.
Specifically, at least 10% of the site’s preschool enrollment must consist of CPP students. If a site has no CPP-enrolled students, it will have 60 days to reestablish enrollment through the TA program. If CPP TA enrollment is not restored within this timeframe, the Lead Preschool Teacher(s) at the site will no longer be eligible to participate in TPG.
Teacher Promise Grant Guidelines
Reminder: TPG no longer offers rolling enrollment opportunities. Please check the Provider Connection newsletter for application deadlines and updated requirements.
Teacher Advancement Stipends
The Teacher Advancement Stipend (TAS) is designed to incentivize Lead Preschool Teachers for continued Professional Development and Educational Advancement. This grant program offers a series of Advancement Stipends in addition to the Promise Grants described above, for teachers who are currently receiving monthly Promise Grant distribution.
These initiatives differ in the following ways:
- The Teacher Promise Grant is paid monthly to eligible Lead Preschool Teachers. Teacher Advancement Stipends are paid in lump sums contingent on completing professional development hours or degree advancement/ attainment.
- Lead Preschool Teachers are eligible for a fixed and pre-determined Promise Grant amount. Eligibility for Advancement Stipends depends on the teacher’s documented professional development or degree progress during the grant cycle.
- To be eligible to receive TAS, you must be currently enrolled in TPG.
Staff Support Fund – Quality Improvement Preschool Sites
The Staff Support Fund provides grants for preschools participating in the Quality Improvement program.
The grant is intended to help Quality Improvement preschool sites retain quality staff while pursuing a high-quality rating. Preschool sites will have access to up to $3,000 per lead teaching position in their center or family childcare program. Providers can receive one SSF grant in a 12-month cycle. These funds can be used to:
- offer bonuses for staff retention, recruitment, or advancement;
- cover costs for health insurance or other benefits;
- supplement teachers’ wages; or
- pay for formal education in early childhood education degree programs.
Teacher Completion Grants
Through a partnership with Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Teacher Completion Grants support students in the final stages of their Early Childhood Education coursework. Students gain hands-on experience at a CPP preschool site, with the goal of securing permanent employment. CPP offers a stipend, in partnership with the Cincinnati State Foundation, to help future educators overcome any financial obstacles to obtaining the credentials needed to join the early childhood profession.
This is a closed application process. To be eligible you must meet the requirements outlined above as a student at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College.
To learn more about the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at Cincinnati State CLICK HERE
Teacher Promise Grant FAQ:
Providers may enroll 2 Lead Preschool teachers per 10 CPP Preschool enrollments and 1 Lead Preschool Teacher for CPP enrollments under 10. This applies to Type A and Center-Based programs. This eligibility helps determine how many teachers at a site can receive a CPP grant for teachers.
Part-time educators may explore other CPP resources but are not eligible for this grant for teachers at this time.
Full-time is defined as a schedule of at least 35 hours per week, encompassing a school day and/or school week.
This is considered termination of employment. The teacher forfeits any payments remaining in their grant cycle. The teacher may re-apply to the program in their new position in the next application window, assuming they meet all eligibility requirements.
During the grant cycle, Providers are responsible for: submitting monthly turnover information and completing wage and evaluation surveys as needed and maintaining the 10 percent enrollment threshold. Provider participation helps ensure long-term access to Cincinnati Preschool Promise funding and grants for teachers.