MONTGOMERY—Governor Robert Bentley
on Thursday announced the Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Care
Services Division(DHR) has been selected to receive an Early Head Start – Child
Care Partnership (EHSCCP) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services totaling $8.3 million per year for five years.
The grant, totaling $41 million
over the five-year period which begins in 2015, will be used to serve 566
children using the EHSCCP model. The model includes establishing partnerships
between Head Start Programs and licensed child care centers and a statewide
Family Child Care Hub.
“A strong education foundation is
important to a child’s success, and investing in our children at an early age
is extremely important,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “This grant is an
excellent investment in Alabama’s future.”
The DHR EHSCCP program will serve
eligible children already receiving child care subsidies. Teen mothers and
families challenged by child abuse and neglect issues and homelessness will
receive priority for participation. This statewide effort will include urban
and rural counties where there are a high number of children experiencing
poverty.
“We plan to use this grant to
help children get the early learning they need so they are prepared to enter
the public education system,” said DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. “Children
that enter school with the proper tools have a much higher success rate than
those who have received little or no preparation.”
As part of the grant process, DHR
will partner with the Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs, the Alabama
Department of Public Health, Auburn University and Alabama Department of
Post-Secondary member schools.