Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Aroostook County Action Program’s Head Start division, a comprehensive preschool development program for children ages 3-5 from income-eligible families, will be enhanced thanks to a federal grant. U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins (R-Maine) recently announced that ACAP received $142,972 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue the local program.
Laurie Nelson, assistant director of ACAP’s child and family services, said the money would be used in a variety of ways.
“We have purchased a new database collection software program,” she said. “We’ve been using a locally grown program, and the new software will allow us to be able to track our information and assess our program to determine where we need to make tweaks to continue with our quality programming.
“For the past several years, our program has been level, or flat funded,” said Nelson, “and the grant money will be able to help restore some old programs that had been subject to cuts, as well as restore some hours for staff that had been lost so our staff will be able to continue their work with kids.”
In addition, the grant money will assist teachers who work with the students to further their education.
“The Head Start Reauthorization Act mandates that we have to have our teachers working toward bachelor’s degrees and our teacher aides toward associate degrees,” said Nelson. “A large portion of that funding is going to support our staff’s higher education to achieve those mandates, which will – in turn – bring higher quality services to children. That helps reassure parents that they can go to school or work and leave their kids with us and the children will receive quality care.”
ACAP’s Head Start serves an estimated 271 children throughout Aroostook County.
The funding is being distributed to Maine through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Snowe and Collins worked with a bipartisan group of senators to craft the legislation that became law in February.
“For decades, Maine has played host to numerous community development organizations that serve to improve the quality of life for low-income families,” the Senators said in a joint statement. “Within these organizations, Head Start programs target the youngest members of our communities and serve as stepping-stones to greater educational opportunities. With grants totaling nearly $500,000, the communities across Maine will enjoy improved Head Start programs and the critical support they provide young children.”
Nelson said she was extremely pleased to receive the funding.
“It’s wonderful to be able to receive the money and know that we can put it back into the program,” she said. “It’s nice to know that we have the money to continue to do the quality work that we do.”
For more information on the local ACAP Head Start program, call 768-3045 or log onto www.acap-me.org.
