Last month, Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Katherine Clark, toured our Medford Head Start and Children’s Services Early Learning Center, and met with parents, and staff to discuss ongoing challenges within the early education system and the impact on families. The center is the result of a collaboration between Encore Boston Harbor and ABCD to increase access to early education and care services for all families.
“We are so grateful for Assistant Speaker Clark’s visit to our Medford Head Start and Children’s Services,” said ABCD President and CEO Sharon-Scott Chandler. She helped the $40 billion for Head Start and child care funding to become law through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, and has been and incredible leader and longtime advocate of early childhood education. That funding was a lifeline for programs during the pandemic, and allows us to better meet the needs of children and families in Greater Boston moving forward.”
Scott- Chandler explained that the state-of-the-art center was developed through the support of our community partner, Encore Boston. She said, “We don’t do this alone. Collaboration is at the core of our work. We want to thank Encore Boston Harbor President, Jenny Holaday and her team for making possible this center and the vital services it provides.”
During the summer of 2022, many of ABCD’s Head Start and Early Head Start sites in Boston and Mystic Valley became fully operational again, in accordance with state guidance concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and overall federal health and safety measures.
Head Start programs are available to families with preschool-age children who meet specific income guidelines. Early Head Start programs are available for pregnant mothers and children up to age three years old. Both focus on school readiness, social and learning skills, and physical wellness from the time your child is an infant until they’re approaching kindergarten. More information is available here.
