WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that three Maine child development programs will be receiving a combined $10,097,840 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue area Head Start programs.

Specifically, the funding will be allocated as follows:

• Aroostook County Action Program in Presque Isle: $3,030,735
• Penquis Community Action Program, Inc. in Bangor: $4,278,545
• Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation in Farmingdale: $2,788,560

“Maine is fortunate to have many community development organizations that provide stepping-stones to greater educational opportunities,” Senators Collins and King said. “This funding will support the Head Start programs in these communities and the valuable services they provide young children and their families.”

Head Start was established in 1965 to promote school readiness and provide a comprehensive array of health, nutritional and social services to eligible four and five-year-old preschoolers and their families. The program has enrolled more than 30 million children since its inception.

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