Human Services News

From HHS News and Events:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that Head Start and Early Head Start programs will receive funding and be eligible to apply for grants worth $2.1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Head Start will receive $1 billion, while $1.1 billion will benefit Early Head Start. Head Start will also benefit from a separate $235 million increase in funding for fiscal year 2009, bringing the total funding increase for Head Start and Early Head Start to more than $2.3 billion.

“Head Start and Early Head Start programs have helped put millions of children on the path to success,” said HHS Spokeswoman Jenny Backus. “The Recovery Act will strengthen these critical programs and ensure they can serve more families in these tough economic times.”

Grants totaling nearly $220 million will allow current Head Start grantees to serve 16,600 additional children and families. Grants worth nearly $1.2 billion, will support Early Head Start expansion and allow the program to serve 55,000 more pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families and nearly double the number of Early Head Start participants. Applications for these grants will be available in the coming weeks. The increased number of children and families served by these grants will create new jobs at Head Start and Early Head Start centers as more additional staff are hired to handle increased enrollment.

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