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Napa Valley Registry - Local Head Start receives $10.9 million federal grant

July 6, 2015
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Staff

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson announced a $10.9 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant for Child Start Inc., which provides Head Start and Early Head Start services to children and families throughout Napa and Solano counties.

The award is the first of a five-year grant that Child Start Inc. won through a competitive process established by HHS. Child Start Inc. will receive a grant of the same amount for the next four years.

"Everyone, no matter who they are or where they're from, deserves an equal opportunity to work hard, get ahead and succeed," said Thompson. "The Head Start and Early Head Start services provided through Child Start Inc. make sure our kids have a foundation for success that's rooted in education and strong, healthy development."

"Ensuring we have the highest-quality services for kids and families has always been at the heart of our mission," said Debbie Peralez, executive director of Child Start Inc.

Child Start Inc. provides Head Start services to nearly 900 preschool children and Early Head Start services to more than 170 infants, toddlers and pregnant women.

Head Start is a federal program that promotes school readiness for children age birth to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development. Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social services and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services.

Head Start was founded as part of Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty in 1965. The reauthorization of the Head Start Act in 1994 made it possible to establish Early Head Start as a program to serve infants and toddlers under the age of 3 and pregnant women.

Issues:Education