Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Schuylkill County Child Development Awarded HHS Grant

On Monday, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a grant of $3,057,279 to Child Development, Inc. for its Schuylkill County Head Start Program. 

Child Development, Inc. offers Head Start and childcare programs to Schuylkill County children with access to a wide range of high-quality educational services for children, including children with disabilities, and their families.

Head Start is a Federal program created in 1965 to address the educational and developmental needs of low-income, preschool children. Head Start’s comprehensive service system provides social, nutritional, and educational services to children and their families across the United States. Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher. These programs help build relationships with families that support family well-being and many other important areas.

“These funds are an investment in both our community and our children,” said Rep. Cartwright. “It is vital for strengthening our nation’s economy that we do all we can to promote school readiness by enhancing the social, cognitive, and emotional development of children, to involve parents in their children’s learning, and to help parents make progress toward their educational, literacy, and employment goals.”

“We are grateful to Congressman Cartwright and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” said Mary Ann Devlin, executive director at Childhood Development Inc. “Federal grants are crucial to the continuation of high quality, comprehensive, early childhood education programs in Schuylkill County.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a division of the Department of Health & Human Services. It promotes the economic and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities with leadership and resources for compassionate, effective delivery of human services.