BELLEFONTE – U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding Cen-Clear Child Services Inc. a federal grant in the amount of $6,157,353 for its Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Since 1980, Cen-Clear Child Services Inc. has served the communities of Centre and Clearfield counties. The non-profit continues to meet the needs in the community by developing programs and services to support children and their families.
Head Start is a pre-school program that aids eligible 3- to 5-year-old children and their families. Early Head Start is a home-based program for eligible families with pregnant women, infants and toddlers up to the age of 3.
Both programs provide support for low-income families and provide development programs to promote the well-being of young children. Cen-Clear serves more than 1,700 families and 3,300 children annually.
“These funds will be instrumental in delivering early childhood education programs, Head Start and Early Head Start,” Thompson said. “Cen-Clear can continue to provide quality, comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services for the region.”
“These services not only provide children with high-quality educational experiences, but also provide parents with support to become active members within their community,” said Cen-Clear Chief Executive Officer Pauline Raab.
“By providing early learning experiences, we are helping children become life-long learners which will lead to future success within the workforce.”