Cortez Masto Celebrates $7 Million Secured to Support Head Start Programming in Northwest Nevada

B-Roll is available here.

Reno, Nev. - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Community Services Agency (CSA) CEO Leslie Colbrese and the teams at the CSA Head Start and Early Head Start Centers to celebrate the $7 million in federal funding allocated to Northwest Nevada for Head Start programming. This funding allows CSA to serve more than 400 children in the region annually.

The Senator also discussed the need to help working families make ends meet by increasing access to child care and continuing to invest in Head Start. She cosponsors the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to help families access quality, affordable child care while also ensuring higher wages for child care workers and providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year Head Start programming.

"For far too many families across the United States, child care is so expensive that it gets out of reach," said Senator Cortez Masto. "We need a multi-pronged approach to solve this issue. We need to bring down the cost of child care while making sure early childhood educators are well-trained and paid what they deserve. I'm proud to showcase this funding that will support the good work CSA does for our children and families, and I will keep fighting to fund Head Start programs nationwide."

"Continuing to receive Head Start funding is extremely important for the over 438 children and families we serve each day to ensure children are given a head start in preparation to Kindergarten. It also allows our amazing teaching and family engagement staff to give quality educational opportunities and care to the families while they work or go to school. We are very thankful for the amazing community partners and leaders that continue to support us and the program," said Leslie Colbrese, CEO of Community Services Agency.

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported lowering costs for working families in Nevada. Last month, the Senator announced her co-sponsorship of the Stronger Start for Working Families Act, which would provide a tax cut to 3.5 million working families with children by allowing them to begin receiving the Child Tax Credit (CTC) starting with the first dollar they earn. Last year, she introduced the American Families Act to permanently expand the Child Tax Credit and the Tax Cuts for Workers Act to help provide tax relief for individuals without children.

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