Head Start Celebrates Passage of Major Disaster Relief Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Head Start Association (NHSA) welcomed congressional passage of legislation providing $55 million to meet the recovery needs of Head Start programs with facilities impacted by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The Head Start funding is included in the 2019 Emergency Supplemental bill (H.R. 2157), which passed the House of Representatives this evening with overwhelming bipartisan support and is expected to be signed into law by the President without delay.

“Head Start programs ravaged by hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters are grateful to our champions in Congress for providing this emergency aid,” NHSA Executive Director Yasmina Vinci said. “This funding will help ensure that disaster-stricken Head Start programs can continue supporting at-risk children, families, and communities on their paths to success. NHSA is proud to serve as the voice of the Head Start community in Washington, both during and after storms.”

Programs are eligible for the disaster funding if they were impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, Typhoon Mangkhut, Super Typhoon Yutu, or wildfires and earthquakes in 2018, or the tornadoes and floods 2019.