By Nicholas Sohr (Staff Writer)
Published: August 26, 2009

WILKES-BARRE - Luzerne County Head Start, a school readiness program for children of low-income families, will see a nearly $500,000 infusion from the federal economic stimulus package, U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski announced Tuesday.

The allocation comes as the state budget stalemate in Harrisburg casts uncertainty over the state- and federally funded program.

"It's a tremendous help, it's funding for a program that already has a very tight budget," said Head Start Executive Director Lynn Evans-Biga.

The $487,197 will be used to make improvements to some of the programs offered, hire two assistant teachers and pay for teachers to get their Childhood Development Associate certification.

Budget constraints had forced Head Start to cut a week from its school-year program for preschool-aged children. The funding announced Tuesday, part of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year, will enable Head Start to reinstitute the week.

"The best investment we can make is in education, particularly for the next generation," Kanjorski said. "Every dollar spent there is worth thousands in the future."

Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, chided the state legislature for failing to compromise on a budget, alluding to programs like Head Start that are starved for state funds.

"Pennsylvania is suffering a great deal right now," he said.

The impasse has already affected 264 children in Luzerne County Head Start. Without a state budget, Head Start has taken out a line of credit to pay for preschool for 132 children, but is waiting, watching the state legislature before making a decision about the rest, Evans-Biga said.

Luzerne County Head Start is budgeted to provide a range of school readiness services for 1,087 children up to kindergarten age.

"It's amazing to see how Head Start opens them up, exposes them to numbers, exposes them to letters," Kanjorski said. "When they get to high school, they're going to be better prepared."

The congressman made his announcement in the Head Start center in South Wilkes-Barre with parents watching from rows of white folding chairs and children sitting on the floor in front of him.

They counted to 10 for him, and spelled their names. Kanjorski also held a quick question-and-answer session with his young audience, most between ages 3 and 5.

"Are you 16 years old?" one boy asked.

"Am I 16?" Kanjorski asked to laughter in the adult audience.

The boy tried again: "Are you 2,000?"

"Lets just say I'm somewhere between 16 and 2,000," Kanjorski answered.