Eric Sorensen

07/01/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Congressman Sorensen Announces Over $7 Million in Federal Funding to Support Head Start Programs

Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced more than $7 million in federal funding is being awarded to support early childhood education programs in Western Illinois. The grants, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will help children and families get the strong start they deserve through high-quality Head Start and Early Head Start services.

Grant recipients include:

  • Rock Island-Milan School District - $3,277,131

  • SAL Family and Community Services - $2,157,606

  • Project NOW, Inc. - $1,845,264

"Every child deserves the chance to grow, learn, and succeed," said Congressman Eric Sorensen. "Head Start helps make that possible by giving children and families the support they need from the very beginning. I've visited both SAL Family and Community Services and Project NOW, and I've seen firsthand the incredible work they do to lift up kids in our communities. These investments will make a real difference for families across our district."

"We are incredibly grateful for Congressman Sorensen's advocacy to help secure continued federal funding of Early Head Start, both in his visit to our Milan Skip-a-Long center and through his support in Congress," said Marcy Mendenhall, CEO of SAL Community Services. "This secured funding means there will be no disruption to the essential services for 168 SAL Community Services families across the Quad Cities. SAL's Early Head Start goes beyond high-quality childcare - it provides necessary healthcare and family advocacy to support our families at every level."

"We are deeply appreciative of the support and ongoing commitment of ensuring every child has access and opportunity to quality education and services; both of which Head Start provides," said President/CEO of Project NOW, Dr. Dwight Ford. "It takes personal responsibilities, including confronting ignorance concerning Head Start, public will to promote quality education, and public policy to ensure funding. Head Start is a priority and not an afterthought. Early childhood education matters and the investment will yield a lifetime of return."

Together, these awards total $7,279,001 in new funding for early childhood education in Illinois' 17th Congressional District.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide vital services including early education, health screenings, nutrition, and family support for low-income families. These federal dollars will help ensure that more children in the 17th District have the tools they need to thrive from day one.

Eric Sorensen published this content on July 01, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 11, 2025 at 14:52 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io