LSF Awarded $23.5 Million Grant to Operate Palm Beach County Head Start and Early Head Start Locations

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Vistra Communications

May 28, 2014, 08:00 ET


West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) May 28, 2014 -- LSF, headquartered in Tampa, FL has been awarded a $16.5 million grant to manage Palm Beach County’s federally-funded Head Start Programs. The grant was awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, several other agencies and organizations are contributing $7 million, bringing the total award to $23.5 million. LSF will be serving 2,387 children, which includes 64 additional children to the Early Head Start program. The grant period begins July 1, 2014 and runs for five years.

Head Start and Early Head Start are federally-funded early childhood programs for low-income families with children ages 0 through 5, including those with special needs. In May 2013, LSF was operating on a total of $19 million in grants to service Head Start programs in Pinellas County, the city of Belle Glade and as a Delegate agency in Hillsborough County. In April 2014, LSF received an $18 million grant to manage Duval County’s federally-funded Head Start Programs. This recent award brings LSF’s total to $60 million in grants. LSF will now serve more than 6,000 children, up from 1,900 a year ago, making the organization the largest non-profit Head Start Grantee in the Southeastern United States and one of the largest in the country.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring our decades of Head Start experiences to all of Palm Beach County,” said LSF President and CEO Samuel Sipes. “This award allows the LSF team to serve more children and families in this community and leverage strategic community partnerships to enhance the quality of programs.”

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, who currently operate the county’s Head Start programs, unanimously voted to support LSF in their bid for the new grantee position. The county is also contributing $4 million dollars for year around, full-day services and the State of Florida is providing $2 million in VPK funds. The Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, has agreed to partner with LSF and provide an additional $1 million to support the expansion of Early Head Start services.

“The Council has been working with LSF, the Palm Beach County staff, The Early Learning Coalition, The Palm Beach County School District and the delegate agencies to ensure the program is integrated into our community's early care and education system so all children have access to high quality care,” said Tana Ebbole, CEO, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County.

Head Start services will integrate into the Council’s System of Care Model, which offers prevention and early intervention services.

Media inquiries should contact Althea of Vistra Communications at AltheaP(at)ConsultVistra(dot)com or (O) 813.961.4700, (C) 813.431.0444.

Visit lsf-hsehs.lsfnet.org or call Kelly Lynn at 813.875.1408 for more information.

Althea Paul, Vistra Communications, http://www.consultvistra.com, +1 (813) 961-4700, [email protected]