Budgeting & Funding

Introduction

Budgeting is the central means of creating the road map for a program year and implementing program goals and objectives. It is the financial part of good planning for any organization and should be done annually with goal setting and objective planning sessions. Thoughtful planning, including setting goals, objectives, and budget parameters, is essential to effectively and efficiently managing Early Childhood programs.

The coordinator is responsible for developing a budget that is fiscally responsible, supports the program philosophy, and aligns community needs with the use of resources. This means that the coordinator should be actively involved in the development of the program budget. To be effective in this area, the coordinator must be knowledgeable about the budgeting process, i.e., the district, state and federal guidelines and statutes for budgeting, spending, and reporting. Working closely with school district or organization finance personnel helps assure compliance with both local district
procedures and state and/or federal statutes. Budgeting is a straightforward process that uses basic mathematics. All coordinators can develop the skills needed to create and manage an effective program budget.

If you are looking for your funding amounts (e.g. ECFE, School Readiness), go to the Aid Calculations tab

Budgeting and Program Planning

Introduction

Budgeting plays an essential role in many aspects of early childhood programming and services. Indeed, maybe no other factor has a bigger impact on what you can do and provide. From a macro level, budgeting affects both program quantity and quality. Legal or funding requirements accompany the funds you receive, and you have to provide proof or assurances that you are meeting these requirements. Because of these requirements and the role that budgeting plays in program quality, and since no one has an endless amount of funds, we have to be intentional and strategic on how we utilize our funds. The information, resources, and tools in this set of tabs are designed to help you plan your program/programming from a budgeting perspective.