Slaughter announces $7.1 million award to continue Action for a Better Community’s Head Start Program
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25) announced a $7.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Action for a Better Community’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This grant allows Action for a Better Community (ABC) to continue providing quality childcare and education to children, infants and pregnant women in Monroe County.
“I’m proud to announce this major grant award for Action for a Better Community that will allow them to continue their Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Investing in programs like this is an important part of providing young children with the skills they need to succeed in both school and life. It is also a win for taxpayers, since every dollar invested in early childhood education saves them as much as seven dollars in the long-term,” Slaughter said. “I will keep fighting for federal resources for our children and will continue to strongly oppose President Trump’s budget request, which would cut Head Start by $85 million.”
Slaughter has been a steadfast supporter of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. In 2015, she secured a $6.9 million grant allowing Rochester’s Action for a Better Community’s Head Start Program to continue providing quality child care and education to over 1,400 children, infants and pregnant women. In 2014, she successfully fought for the restoration of $700,000 to the Head Start program. These funds allowed ABC to continue working with over 210 children and saved 33 jobs.
ABC’s Head Start and Early Head Start program promotes school readiness of children ages birth to five. Currently, the program supports six centers in the Rochester region and provides direct services to more than 1,330 people.
“An investment in our children is an investment in our future,” Mayor Lovely Warren said. “This federal funding will help many children in the city of Rochester get the very best start in life. I would like to thank Congresswoman Slaughter for fighting for Rochester’s children, and in doing so, helping us create more jobs, safer neighborhoods and better educational opportunities.”
A recent report from the Council for a Strong America found that 60 percent or more of the achievement gap found between low-income and high-income children today exists on the very first day of kindergarten. Rather than address this gap, President Trump has proposed a Fiscal Year 2018 budget that would slash investments in education by double digits. The president’s proposal calls for a draconian cut of $85 million to Head Start programs alone.
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