Stimulus bill funding will help keep Head Start programs going strong in five rural Colorado communities

Montrose, Durango, Monte Vista, Del Norte and Saguache programs receive support

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman John Salazar announced today that five communities in the Third Congressional District will be receiving federal funding for their local Head Start programs. Funding for the projects comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which Congressman Salazar worked to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Head Start program provides 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. Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families. They engage parents in their children's learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals. Significant emphasis is placed on the involvement of parents in the administration of local Head Start programs.
On the stimulus bill funding for the Montrose, Durango, Monte Vista, Del Norte and Saguache Head Start programs, Congressman Salazar offered the following statement:

“Like many residents in rural Colorado, I grew up without much money. But my parents committed themselves to making sure that my brothers and sisters and I received a quality education. Head Start programs can help rural children get the kind of education they need to excel in the modern world. I am happy to have helped provide this funding, and I will continue to fight to help educate our children and employ our educators.”

Contact information for each of the individual Head Start programs below:

Montrose: Cathy Quade-Crane, (970) 249-5858
Durango: Charlotte T. Pirnat, (970) 247-5960
Saguache: Mary Chavez, (719) 754-3191
Del Norte: Donna Briones, (719) 657-3101
Monte Vista: Joseph D. Martinez, (719) 852-3215