MOLINE, Ill. — On Wednesday, Aug. 7, U.S Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Rock Island) toured Project Now's Esperanza Center, a facility dedicated to providing early childhood education and support for families in the Quad Cities. The organization's Head Start Program is receiving a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services worth $1.8 million, and officials said the money will help enhance the educational programs offered at the center.
"There's so much competition for a grant this size," Sorensen said. "$1.8 million coming from the federal government, right here to Head Start in the Quad Cities, this is a huge accomplishment. These are federal tax dollars that are coming back here, but $1.8 million isn't the value; the value is much greater than $1.8 million when we look at the effect that Head Start has on our families, our communities, and our neighborhoods."
Head Start officials said in addition to hiring more teachers and expanding classroom resources, the grant will also support training programs for educators, ensuring they have the latest teaching methods and tools for students.
"These type of dollars allow us to do additional programming," Reverend Dwight Ford, Executive Director of Project NOW said. "It allows us to staff at a better rate. With that additional classroom, we expand opportunity. When we expand opportunity, that means more of our kiddos are sitting in those seats. When more of our kiddos are sitting in those seats, more of their families are being enhanced. When more families are being enhanced, our community is better."
Sorensen highlighted the transformative potential of early childhood education.
"The first person to walk on the surface of Mars could very well be in a Head Start program today," Sorensen said. "The person that is going to cure cancer could very well be in a Head Start today. What are we doing as a community to make sure it doesn't matter what zip code you grow up in to determine your ability to succeed."
The center is set to reopen in the fall with four new Head Start classrooms capable of hosting up to 80 students. Officials hope local families will benefit from improved access to high-quality early education, crucial for the development and future success of young children. Additionally, the enhanced programs aim to address specific community needs, such as bilingual education and support for children experiencing homelessness or foster care.