Skip to main content

Congressman Cohen Announces Head Start Grants

August 30, 2018

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start have awarded Porter-Leath, formerly known as the Children's Bureau, two grants totaling more than $3.1 million to further their work in early childhood development.

"I'm pleased that Porter-Leath will receive these funds to help young children in our community gain access to resources they need. Disadvantaged children need early help to prepare for an increasingly competitive world," said Congressman Cohen. "Providing young children access to that help benefits our community as a whole."

Porter-Leath has served the Memphis community for over 160 years, offering resources to at-risk children and their families. Partnering with the Tennessee Department of Children Services, Porter-Leath offers residential, foster care, and adoption services alongside numerous other forms of assistance for families. The Early Head Start and Head Start programs are initiatives designed to promote developmental skills in children from birth to five years old, with home-based and center-based services catering to over 5,000 children and families in Shelby County each year.

The Administration of Children and Families partners with local providers to address and respond to the needs of vulnerable families, while the Office of Head Start allocates grant funding to 1,700 nonprofit and for-profit agencies that offer Head Start services. Both organizations emphasize inclusive and holistic early development programs in order to better communities across the United States.

###