On Thursday, Rep. Joe Neguse’s office announced that Summit County Head Start child care facilities would receive more than $14,000 in federal funds.
In December 2020, Neguse and New York Rep. John Katko introduced the Jump Start for Head Start Act that “would address the estimated funding shortfall for Head Start grantees and would appropriate funds directly to Head Start programs based on enrollment ratio,” according to Neguse’s website
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In addition to the $14,747 coming to Summit County centers, $22,272 will be going to facilities in nearby Eagle County
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According to the news release, the National Head Start Association estimated operational costs for the program increased by up to 20% in 2020 as individual programs adapted and responded to the pandemic. Neguse said the funding would help address those issues.
Photo by Jason Connolly / Jason Connolly Photography
With the novel coronavirus pandemic putting more stress on local families, the Frisco Town Council is looking at ways it can provide more support for child care.
At a council work session Tuesday, Jan. 12, the group discussed options for providing funding directly to families who struggle with affording child care. The council currently provides $65,000 a year to the Summit County Preschool, which is a nonprofit and not affiliated with the county government.
While the town has a number of options for providing assistance to local families, Town Manager Nancy Kerry suggested that the council look into implementing a program that is similar to the Town of Breckenridge’s tuition assistance program.