Maryland Delegation Members Announce Over $28 Million to Support Early Childhood Education Programs Across Maryland

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) announced $28,927,670 in federal funding for Head Start programs across the state to expand early learning, development, health services, and family well-being.

“Investing in early education for our children creates a strong foundation for their future success. By supporting Head Start programs across Maryland, we are advancing efforts to close the learning gap and open doors to quality education for all. We will continue fighting to secure investments that empower our students to succeed and thrive in the classroom,” said the lawmakers.

Awardees include:

• Shore Up Inc. Community Action Agency, (operating Early Head Start Centers across the Lower and Mid-Shore Counties of Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester) – $10,662,753
• The Y of Central Maryland – $8,212,332
• Montgomery County Head Start Projects – $5,985,343
• YMCA of Frederick County – $3,018,893
• Associated Catholic Charities Inc. in Baltimore, Md. – $1,048,349

The $28,927,670 award comes from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child Care and the Office of Head Start. Each year, Head Start and Early Head Start programs benefit more than a million families nationwide. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin and Congressmen Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, Mfume, Raskin, Trone, and Ivey fought for this continued funding as part of the fiscal year 2023 appropriations package.