Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced that the Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency, Inc. received $1,528,249 in federal funds from  the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These funds are used for the continuation of high quality, comprehensive, early childhood education.

Head Start is a federal program created in 1965 to address the educational and developmental needs of low-income, pre-school children. Head Start’s comprehensive service system provides social, nutritional, and educational services for thousands of children and their families across the United States. Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher.

“I am a proud proponent of these programs that work to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring children are better prepared for success in school,” said Rep. Cartwright.  “Head Start and Early Head Start programs are an important investment in our community and our economy.”

“Early Head Start partnerships bring together the best of two worlds by combining the strength of child care and early head start programs,” said Linda Prutisto, Early Learning Program Director. “We have successful partnerships with the Carbondale YMCA, the Nursery Association, Friendship House, and Trinity to provide comprehensive services and high quality early learning environments for low-income families with infants and toddlers. There are opportunities for parent involvement in the program and in their child’s education as well as transition planning in and out of the Early Head Start program. Our outcomes are focused on collaboration, a highly educated and well-qualified workforce, well-aligned early childhood policy, improved family and child well-being, and progress toward school readiness. We thank Congressman Matt Cartwright and all the members of Congress for their continued recognition and support of these efforts.”

Head Start services are funded and overseen by The Office of Head Start (OHS), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the Department of Health & Human Services. The AFC promotes the economic and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities with leadership and resources for compassionate, effective delivery of human services.