WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $8,583,162 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout the Metro East.

“I’m proud to support programs like Head Start that give children in Metro East a fairer shot at reaching their full potential,”Duckworth said. “When we invest in childhood education and parental support services, we help provide children with the tools they need to succeed both in and outside of the classroom.”

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“This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families throughout Metro East by promoting healthy development and school readiness for kindergarten and elementary school children,” said Durbin. “The Head Start program is the source of countless success stories in Illinois and around the country—it’s a stepping stone children need to succeed from elementary school to college and beyond.”

The following Metro East providers will receive funding for Head Start and Early Head Start programs under this announcement:

  • Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, IL): $6,030,284
  • Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council (Steeleville, IL): $1,217,998
  • Riverbend Head Start and Family Services (Alton, IL): $1,334,880
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