Monterey County Head Start to receive nearly $790K from American Rescue Plan

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) said the Early Learning Program's Head Start has been notified that it will receive $789,690 from the American Rescue Plan.

Nationwide, about $1 billion is being awarded to Head Start programs to help them bounce back after the pandemic, and the funds are being distributed to more than 1,500 local Head Start programs in every state and territory.

MCOE said its Early Learning program has led a summer program targeting students getting ready for kindergarten, and the agency said families are still struggling to cope as they face challenges from the pandemic. They intend to use the funds to contract two more mental health providers to help meet the needs of students, families and staff.

The Early Learning program closed temporarily when COVID-19 cases spiked due to quarantine requirements, but otherwise, it continued to serve students during the pandemic.