I’m excited to share the great news that CTL was recently awarded a third Early Head Start (EHS) grant from the U.S. Health and Human Service’s Administration for Children and Families. The grant award totals $7,541,231 and will fund child care and education for an additional 120 low-income and homeless children.
This brings the total number of low-income or homeless children served annually through EHS services at CTL to 256. These are kiddos we will help care for and educate – children we will prepare for Kindergarten and successful lives. Our future community leaders and business people!
The second EHS grant (awarded July 2017) fit seamlessly with our Child Development Centers, providing high-quality, early childhood care and education for infants and toddlers living in poverty and homelessness in Tarrant County. The Center was so successful with the second EHS grant, 88% of children typically exceeding standard expectations in literacy, social/emotional and cognitive domains, laying the foundation for our third Early Head Start grant award, enabling 120 more children the opportunity for affordable, subsidized child care.
The three EHS grants total $3,446,086 in ANNUAL FUNDING to Tarrant County, and fund program operations, teacher training, and technical assistance for approximately 256 at-risk children, 6-weeks to 3-years-old. Program expansion and child care is already in the works.
This grant directly supports the most vulnerable segments of our community – children from homeless or impoverished families, or those with developmental delays, ensuring they will get the care and education they need. Our leadership team is relieved that we found a way to serve more of these at-risk children. However, this government grant isn’t without a cost to the Center. The EHS funds cover only 78% of the actual costs of the programming, leaving the Center responsible for raising the remaining dollars.
The actual cost of caring for and educating a young EHS child with comprehensive services is $21,293 annually, however the EHS grant allocation is $16,646 per student, leaving the Center for Transforming Lives with approximately $5,000 gap per child per year.
If you are interested in making a $5,000 matching scholarship for one or more of these wonderful children – please let Leslie Oliver (development@transforminglives.org) know! She will be delighted to arrange a visit with you.
Categories: Early Childhood Education Blog
