SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION IN HEAD START FUNDS FOR CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY ORGANIZATION
Western New York’s Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. Will Use Funding to Continue to Provide Early Education Programs for Low-Income Children
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,319,314.00 in federal funding for the Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc., a community based agency in Western New York. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand said that the funding support a new Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership program and expand the organization’s ability to provide education and development services for low-income children.
“Study after study shows that the better we prepare our young children through programs like Head Start, the better they perform in school later in life,” said Senator Schumer. “This Head Start grant for Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. will bring real results to our young students in Western New York by providing them with the resources they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. I am proud to support this essential funding and will continue to fight to see that early child education remains a priority.”
“Early education programs provide the strongest foundation for our children’s success, which is why this funding is so important for Chautauqua County families,” said Senator Gillibrand. “With this new funding our community’s Early Head Start program will have the resources necessary to serve our students and prepare them for bright futures in the classroom and beyond.”
Head Start and Early Head Start provide comprehensive child development programs for low-income children from birth to age five and their families. Community organizations are awarded grants to provide Head Start services in their community through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Head Start programs primarily serve children ages three and four while Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants and toddlers. The comprehensive services these programs offer include early education, health screenings, social and emotional health, nutrition, social services, and services for children with disabilities.
Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships grants encourage collaboration between new and existing Early Head Start organizations and child care providers to expand access to high-quality care for infants and toddlers. These new federal funds allow new or existing Early Head Start programs to partner with local child care centers and family child care providers serving infants and toddlers from low-income families. By providing a full-day, full-year program these partnerships support working families and develop a healthy and educational early experiences for the children to completely understand their limitless potential.
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