U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $12,928,003 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs for Bergen County Community Action Partnership, Inc.

“Every child in New Jersey, regardless of which zip code they live in, deserves the opportunity for quality, early childhood education in order to reach their full potential in school and beyond,” said Sen. Menendez. “These federal investments in Head Start and Early Head Start are so important because these programs work and make a real difference for our youngest children.”

“Across our nation, Head Start and Early Head Start education programs deliver critical early childhood services to millions of children. In New Jersey, Head Start programs have provided engaging opportunities for our youngest citizens to create, learn, and explore,” said Sen. Booker. “By providing them with educational resources and learning opportunities at the earliest stages of development, Head Start programs build a strong foundation for our children to succeed in school and beyond.”

“It is of the utmost importance that we provide our infants and children with the basic tools they need to succeed in life,” said Rep. Pascrell, a former high school teacher. “Head Start and Early Head Start help our communities provide those tools to families who need it most. These critical programs prepare our children for development both in the classroom and outside of it. Greater Bergen Community Action has been a life source for the thousands of families they have served in Bergen and Passaic counties since 1968. This much needed funding will help them continue to meet the educational, emotional, nutrition, and health needs of our children in North Jersey. This grant is fantastic news for our communities.”

“This $12.9 million investment in Head Start is a win for our children and families and a win for New Jersey’s return on investment from the federal government,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “For every dollar invested in Head Start, we see a $7 to $9 return. I'm proud that, through my work to get a better return on the tax dollars we already send to Washington, the Fifth District has already clawed back from the federal government $290 per household, a 16% increase from recent years. The more we can encourage local organizations and municipalities to apply for and win these grants, the more our return will increase, making living in New Jersey more affordable for families and businesses.”

Bergen County Community Action Partnership is a not-for-profit company working throughout New Jersey to build more sustainable families, community institutions, and neighborhoods. It does this through strategic investments in community and household finance, education, healthcare, housing, workforce development, energy, and neighborhood revitalization.

HHS also granted Tri-County Community Action Agency, Inc., located in Bridgeton, $5,555,634 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Southern New Jersey.

Both Head Start and Early Head Start provide comprehensive child development programs for low-income children, from birth to age five, and their families. The program has been shown to improve educational outcomes for participating students, including by increasing rates of high school graduation and college attendance. Community organizations are awarded grants to provide Head Start services in their community through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.