LHDC Receives Head Start and Early Head Start Stimulus Grants
Lincoln Hills Development Corporation (LHDC) Executive Director, Larry K. Kleeman, announced that LHDC recently received continuation grants for its Head Start and Early Head Start programs funded last year through the American Recovery and Reinvestment (Stimulus) Act (ARRA) of 2009.
“This is the second year that these programs have received this stimulus funding,” said Kleeman. “We first received funding for these programs approximately a year ago after a very competitive nationwide application process. We are extremely grateful for receiving this additional funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ).”
The funding came in two separate awards to LHDC:
• An award of $238,212.00 was made for continuation of LHDC’s Head Start expansion efforts funded in 2009, to continue expanded Head Start services for thirty-five (35) 3-5 year old children and their families – at LHDC’s Harrison County Center in Corydon (20 children), and at the South Spencer County Center in Rockport (15 children). This Head Start expansion funding is in addition to LHDC’s ongoing Head Start program that has received direct funding from HHS for the past 46 years and serves an additional 264 children throughout Crawford, Harrison , Perry and Spencer Counties .
• An award of $822,778.00 was made for continuation of LHDC’s Early Head Start program, to continue services for the program initiated in 2009 that serves 72 infants, toddlers, and pregnant women throughout Crawford, Harrison , Perry and Spencer Counties .
Kleeman continued, “These programs have not only allowed us to expand or implement programming for children and families at a time when our services are in great demand, they have also provided considerable employment opportunities for local residents, which was also a major impetus behind the stimulus funding. These awards have directly resulted in 7 employment positions in the Head Start program, and 15 employment positions in the Early Head Start program, for the 2-year funding period. At a time when local unemployment rates have hovered around 10%, that is a significant number of jobs. We are also hopeful that funding will be made available to continue these services to children and families in southern Indiana , and to retain these jobs, after the stimulus funds expire in 2011.”
To learn more about the Head Start program, call LHDC at 1-800-467-1435 , extension 227, or to learn more about the Early Head Start program, call 1-888-547-4850 , extension 117. LHDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provider of services.
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