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School's Open at Head Start

Alex Crichton

Last year, Action for a Better Community's President and CEO James Norman had some bad news for the staff at ABC's Clifford Avenue Head Start Center, an early childhood education center.

He says because of sequestration, the Center was facing cuts of around 750-thousand dollars. 

Those cuts would impact 210 children and 33 jobs would be lost.

But Congresswoman Louise Slaughter revealed in February that funding was restored through the omnibus funding bill, and the Center would be getting its first cost of living adjustment since 2010.

Slaughter visited the facility on Friday, saying that early childhood education is critical.

She says that every dollar spent on a child in Head Start brings back 9 dollars in what they are able to do economically through better jobs and a better education.

Even with the funding restored, Norman says more money is needed for programs like Head Start, which is making a difference.
 

Head Start provides federal grants directly to local early-childhood education providers.