Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that Youth Development Inc., in Albuquerque has been awarded a $6.11 million federal grant to support its head start programs. 

“Head Start works to ensure children are ready to enter elementary school,” Bingaman said. “This funding will be of great benefit to children in the Albuquerque area.” 

As a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Bingaman played an important role in writing legislation to reauthorize the Head Start program.

The new bill, which was signed into law in December, raises the authorized level of funding to $7.35 billion for FY2008, $7.65 billion for FY 2009 and $7.99 billion for FY 2010. This bill will help New Mexico serve more children, because it creates a new funding formula that will allow the state to receive an additional $1.1 million. It also will expand Head Start services to more children from families with incomes up to 130 percent of poverty; the current threshold is only 100 percent. 

Created in 1965, the Head Start program helps low income, pre school children prepare for school by providing comprehensive development services for children ages 3 to 5. The program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also provides social services for their families.