Congressman Dan Kildee Announces Over $11 Million to Fund Early Childhood Education in Genesee County
Funding to Local School Districts Will Support Care and Learning Environments for Genesee County Children
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded over $11 million to local school districts in mid-Michigan to fund Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
HHS awarded Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools $1.1 million to expand Early Head Start programs and awarded Genesee Intermediate School District $10.7 million to expand Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
"Early education programs like Head Start and Early Head Start are some of the most important investments we can make to give our children greater opportunity to succeed. I am proud to announce these federal grants that will combine education, health care, nutrition and social services to help support our kids," Congressman Kildee said. "I am proud of both the Genesee Intermediate School District and Carman-Ainsworth for receiving these federal grants and look forward to following the success of their students in the future."
Head Start and Early Head Start are early childhood education programs that promote children's development through services that support education, health and family well-being. Programming is administered by local public and private, nonprofit and for-profit agencies. The programs include child learning services in reading, math and science; nutritious meals; health and developmental screenings; oral and mental health support; behavioral and special needs services and family services.
In the wake of the Flint water crisis, in March 2016, Congressman Kildee successfully advocated for other federal grants to expand Head Start and Early Head Start services for Flint children. In March 2017, Congressman Kildee also announced $5.5 million in federal grants to support new and expanded Early Head Start for children in the Flint area through Early Head Start Child Care Partnership programs.