Fred Rogers Productions has received a US$1-million grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to support the production of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Donkey Hodie (pictured) and Alma’s Way.

Puppet series Donkey Hodie premiered last month, and production is currently underway on 40 new half-hour episodes, with a focus on original music and reimagined versions of classic Fred Rogers songs.

Scheduled to premiere this fall, Alma’s Way is an animated educational show for preschoolers about a young Puerto Rican girl’s life in the Bronx. Each half-hour episode sees Alma model critical thinking skills, responsible decision-making and empathy.

Public and private funding continues to be a going concern in the kids space. The UK government reduced the overall budget of the British Film Institute’s Young Audience Content Fund (YACF) by US$18 million earlier this year, and Australia’s government has earmarked US$9.2 million to finance the creation of new kid- and family-focused projects over the next four years. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation offers grants supporting literacy and education, as well as religious, charitable and scientific projects.