May 21, 2018

Days After Head Start Turned 53, Duckworth and Durbin Announce Over $90 Million to Help Low-Income Students Across Illinois

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Just days after Head Start turned 53, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced 8 federal grants totaling $90,927,264 for Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. The Head Start program was founded by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 17, 1965, to help combat the War of Poverty by promoting school readiness for low-income children from birth to 5 years old. For 53 years, the Head Start and Early Head Start programs have provided critical services to children, women and their entire families, ensuring all young children remain healthy and are prepared for the years to come.

“I’m proud to support programs like Head Start that give children throughout Illinois 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. For 53 years, The Head Start program has been critical in ensuring that every child, no matter where they come from, has those essential resources they need to thrive in their academic future.”

“This federal funding helps ensure that children throughout Illinois have the strong educational foundation they need to succeed from elementary school to college and beyond,” Durbin said. “The Head Start program was created 53 years ago this week, and since then has been the source of countless success stories in our state and around the country. Investments like this remain crucial for healthy development and school readiness.”

The following Illinois providers will receive funding for Head Start and Early Head Start programs through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under this announcement:

• City of Chicago (Chicago, IL): $66,445,107
• Ounce of Prevention (Chicago, IL): $7,227,201
• Riverbend Head Start and Family Services (Alton, IL): $4,462,673
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet (Joliet, IL): $3,342,796
• Decatur-Macon County Opportunities Corporation (Decatur, IL): $2,591,336
• Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council (Steeleville, IL): $2,412,407
• Southern Seven Health Department (Ullin, IL): $2,313,610
• B.C.M.W. Community Services, Inc. (Centralia, IL): $2,132,134

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