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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

$1.5 million for the Head Start program in Isabela

Washington D.C.- Today, the Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced that the U.S. Department of Health awarded over $1.5 million in federal funding to the Head Start program in the municipality of Isabela so they can continue providing educational services on nutrition and health, as well as, workshops that instill family and community values to low income children.

“Head Start is an essential federal program that improves the education and quality of life for so many of our low income children and their families. It is a program that provides a learning environment for effective and positive child growth, which promotes family unity while further developing values. These funds help provide the opportunities that all Puerto Ricans deserve to have,” said Pierluisi.

The municipality of Isabela will use the allocated $1,532,029 to continue the improvement of services at its Head Start center, where they seek to enhance the cognitive, social, and emotional development of low-income children, and increase their quality of life through the integration and collaboration of families, government agencies, and community partners involved in the program.

Apart from Head Start’s academic instruction in language and literacy, the program supports growth for children in several domains, such as, mental health, and physical development.

The Head Start program also includes a Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework which establishes family goals, mutual trust, and an emotional support system.

The acquired funds will also be used to improve the assistance handicapped children receive according to their particular needs.

Annually, more than 1 million children benefit from the services provided by Head Start in the United States. In Puerto Rico, around 40,000 children benefit from the services Heat Start offers.