Midcoast Maine Community Action Head Start in Bath has received $203,000 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds will support Head Start services to low-income children under the age of 5 in in Sagadahoc County, Lincoln County, and Northern Cumberland County.

Nationally, $750 million has been designated for Head Start programs to support preventative, preparedness, and response activities related to the coronavirus through the CARES Act.

“This funding for Head Start will help ensure that children and families who rely on the program continue receiving services like meals, health screenings, and pre-K education where possible,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. “As we move toward safely reopening, it only grows more important that we support vulnerable families and children whose lives have been disrupted by the virus and its economic effects.”

“We know that investing in programs that use a whole family approach to learning and development can be pivotal to the success of children and families,” said Lynn Johnson, assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. “During this pandemic, it is important to support programs that enrich and enlighten children, families, and communities as they work towards their goals and make concentrated efforts to improve their future post the pandemic.”

The Midcoast Maine Community Action Head Start program plans to use the CARES Act funding to provide critical support to enrolled children and families.

“During this crisis, we have been able to provide crisis response to our Head Start families, including meals, mental wellness support, and connection to community resources,” said Katy Hiza, Health and Nutrition coordinator at MMCA. “We have also trained all of our staff in infectious disease management as we prepare to reopen our classrooms in the fall.”

Midcoast Maine Community Action Head Start program is using the CARES Act funding to resume services.

“To ensure that all children can participate safely as we reopen our classrooms, we reduced our class group sizes in our Head Start classrooms and are hiring additional staff for all classrooms to support our teachers as they continue to provide our standard high-quality education programming while also responding to the increased cleaning responsibilities,” said Kathleen Willette, education coordinator at MMCA.

Learn more about Midcoast Maine Community Action Head Start at https://midcoastmainecommunityaction.org/ or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mmcaheadstartearlyheadstart/

MMCA Head Start is currently recruiting children and families for fall enrollment. Apply online at https://midcoastmainecommunityaction.org/head-start/