A $3.74 million federal grant is headed to SAL Family and Community Services in Moline for Early Head Start education programs, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Illinois, announced last week.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the $3,741,866 grant to assist the Quad Cities childcare provider in offering education to infants and toddlers under the age of 3, and pregnant women.
“We’ve seen the impact early childhood education has on lifelong success,” the freshman congressman said in a news release. “This funding will benefit our communities in the long-term by supporting children and families at a critical stage in their development. I applaud SAL Family and Community Services for securing this funding, and I look forward to working with them to support the next generation of Illinois families.”
Head Start is a program within HHS that provides comprehensive early childhood services to children and families from low-income backgrounds.
“Since receiving this grant in 2021, it has helped us to support more families and children in our communities with building strong foundations for success in life,” Marcy Mendenhall, SAL president and CEO, said in the release. “We look forward to the next year with great excitement as we continue to put education at the heart of care to families and children in our communities in early learning childhood centers, licensed home child care providers, and with home visiting services across Rock Island, Henry and Mercer counties.”
