Today, United States Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the United States Department of Health and Human Services has allocated a total of $4,023,069 to Astor Services for Children & Families for Head Start and Early Head Start Programs in Dutchess County as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For the past 30 years, Astor Services for Children & Families has been a leader in providing early children development programs in New York. The funding will provide early child education to children in Dutchess County and create jobs.
“Study after study shows that the better we prepare our young children, the better they perform in school later in life. Giving children a chance to be prepared for kindergarten and future grades is the key to a bright academic future,” said Schumer. “This Head Start grant will bring real results to our young students in Dutchess County by providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. I am proud to support this essential funding and will continue to fight to see that early child education remains a priority.”
“This is great news for Dutchess County children and families,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal dollars will help deliver quality child care, healthy food and other critical services to families who desperately need it in these though economic times. I will continue working with Senator Schumer to make sure New York families get their fair share from the federal government.”
“We’re proud to be able to continue to provide the high quality of early childhood services that we believe to be models for the Head Start system nationwide,” said Executive Director and CFO James McGuirk
The primary purpose of Head Start and Early Head Start programs is to provide comprehensive child development programs for children at birth and to age 5, pregnant women, and families. The programs are child-focused and have the goal of getting low income children ready for school.
Astor Services for Children & Families provides health services for children in Dutchess County. This non-profit organization specializes in child welfare services, children’s mental health, and early childhood development for pre-schoolers, children with behavioral and emotional health problems, children at risk of placement in foster care, and families needing help raising children in difficult environments. This organization serves approximately 6,000 children annually and since its establishment in 1953, has grown from a single home for children to include community-based programs, allowing Astor Services for Children & Families to address a wide array of problems facing children and families in New York.
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