Porter-Leath to Receive $1.2 Million for Early Head Start

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start have awarded Porter-Leath a $1,207,183 grant to operate its Early Head Start programs.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"I'm pleased that Porter-Leath will be receiving these funds to help make sure young children in our community are ready for kindergarten both academically and socially. Disadvantaged children need early help to prepare for a competitive world, and that help is beneficial for the whole community."

Porter-Leath has served the Memphis community for over 160 years, offering resources to at-risk children and their families. Partnering with the Tennessee Department of Children Services, Porter-Leath offers residential, foster care, and adoption services alongside numerous other forms of assistance for families. The Early Head Start and Head Start programs are initiatives designed to promote developmental skills in children from birth to five years old, with home-based and center-based services catering to over 5,000 children and families in Shelby County each year.

The Administration of Children and Families partners with local providers to address and respond to the needs of vulnerable families, while the Office of Head Start allocates grant funding to 1,700 nonprofit and for-profit agencies that offer Head Start services. Both organizations emphasize inclusive and holistic early development programs in order to better communities across the United States.