Davids Announces New Federal Grant for University of Kansas Medical Center Head Start Program
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Project Eagle, a Head Start project, with a new federal grant. The $5.68 million will be used to continue providing early education opportunities and family support services to children and families in Wyandotte County.
“Head Start programs are one of the smartest investments we can make — for our kids, our families, and our local economy,” said Davids. “They provide affordable early education and care that working parents can count on, help children build the skills they need to succeed, and create good-paying jobs for educators right here at home.”
“This grant will allow us to continue serving the extraordinary children and families of Wyandotte county through this grant,” said Lisa London, Director, Project Eagle. “With this support we can continue serving 299 children and families in Wyandotte county.”
Davids is committed to lowering costs for Kansas families and improving access to quality child care. Last year, she voted with both parties to expand the Child Tax Credit, benefiting 136,000 children in Kansas. She also toured a local child care facility and visited multiple Head Start programs to highlight how federal investments have supported the workforce and daily operations of local child care small businesses and education centers.
Davids also believes in putting money back in parents’ pockets, allowing Kansas families to make their own child care decisions. She introduced the bipartisanAffordable Childcare Act, which would allow Kansas families to save on high child care expenses and live more affordably.
Background:
Project Eagle is a Head Start program under the University of Kansas Medical Center. It has offered services in Wyandotte County for more than 35 years. Their programs focus on the health and well-being of pregnant women and young children and aim to prepare children, engage families, and promote excellence in the broader field of early childhood education.
Head Start has helped more than 40 million children across the US since 1965. The program, serving certain children aged 0-5, is operated through home-based services, center-based services, or a combination of both. Head Start provides many long term-benefits to participating children. Students in early childhood education programs are less likely to repeat grades, are 25 percent more likely to graduate high school, and are four times more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree in comparison to non-Head Start students.