We are pleased to share the exciting news that The Child Center of NY has been awarded a federal grant to provide two new home-based Early Head Start (EHS) programs in Astoria and Woodside. These programs will serve 100 children from birth to age 3 and pregnant women, 50 in each community.
Quality early education is crucial for children to start kindergarten on the right foot. This is especially true for children of immigrants and those living below the poverty line. Sadly, those are the very children who have the fewest opportunities to receive it.
With this grant, The Child Center will help fill that gap. Our EHS programs will provide evidence-based academic, physical, and social-emotional learning opportunities that will ensure low-income children begin school ready to learn and emotionally ready to thrive. We will also make a special commitment to enroll pregnant women and children of all backgrounds, including children with disabilities and those who are homeless or in foster care. And we will support parents in achieving their own goals, such as enhancing parenting skills, learning English, or gaining employment. All services will be provided in the family’s dominant language.
Once participating children are 16 months old, the EHS curriculum will be supplemented with the award-winning ParentChild+ Program, a school-readiness initiative that The Child Center has been offering for five years. When children turn 3, they will be linked with community Head Starts, allowing a birth-to-5 program model.
We are thrilled to bring these services to the Astoria and Woodside communities and look forward to helping their youngest members get started on a path to a bright future.
