Press Releases

PRESS STATEMENT

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF HEAD START CONGRESSWOMAN STACEY E. PLASKETT ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT GRANT FOR THE PROGRAM

“This vital program provides many children from low income families with the educational foundation that is crucial for children ages five and under,” stated Congresswoman Plaskett

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement announcing a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the VI Department of Human Services:

“Head Start programs promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. Services are provided in a variety of settings including centers, family childcare, and children’s own home. Head Start programs also engage parents or other key family members in positive relationships, with a focus on family well-being. Parents participate in leadership roles, including having a say in program operations.

"The Head Start program began as an eight-week demonstration project designed to help break the cycle of poverty. It provided preschool children from low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and educational needs. A key tenet of the program established that it be culturally responsive to the communities served, and that the communities have an investment in its success through the contribution of volunteer hours and other donations as non-federal share.

"The Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS, the regulations governing Head Start programs, were originally published in 1975. In 1995, the first Early Head Start grants were awarded to serve low-income pregnant women and children ages birth to 3. In 1998, the Head Start program was reauthorized to expand to full-day and full-year services. The Head Start program, to include Early Head Start, was most recently reauthorized in 2007 with bipartisan support.

“This grant of $40,000 provides the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services with disaster assistance for the Head Start program. This vital program provides many children from low income families with the educational foundation that is crucial for children ages five and under. In order for our children to succeed regardless of their socio-economic status we must ensure that they and their families have access to resources that will enable them to do so. Disaster assistance funding for Head Start aids in ensuring that the program will be able to continue operations despite natural disasters.”

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