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Velazquez Announces $1 Million Grant for Chinatown Head Start

July 11, 2013

Velázquez Announces $1 Million Grant for Chinatown Head Start

Washington, DC – The Chinatown Head Start program of New York is receiving $940,000 from the federal government to continue their outreach and service to area families. The funding was announced today by Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and is being made available as a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Velázquez praised the funding, saying it would help ensure childcare and early education services are available to vulnerable populations in Chinatown.

“Studies consistently show that when children receive educational and nutritional support they need early on, they succeed later in life and throughout their academic career,” Velázquez noted. “Head Start of Chinatown is vital in providing these services to working families in our local community.”

Located at 180 Mott Street, the organization serves the needs of over 100 families with a range of services, including education, health and nutrition. Client families often include those who have trouble securing assistance elsewhere, making the organization an important community anchor.

“For many busy working families, locating affordable, quality educational services can be challenging,” Velázquez noted. “Programs like these help fill in the gaps, ensuring our children receive care they need and no kids fall through the cracks.”

The Head Start program provides Federal grants to local public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school.