October 07, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2010
Five-year, $200,000 grant to help improve school readiness of children in Michigan
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the BHK Child Development Board of Houghton has been selected as one of the 10 Head Start Centers of Excellence in a nationwide grant competition among Head Start programs. In 2009, Granholm selected BHK as Michigan's sole nominee to compete in the next round of the federal grant competition.
"By making sure that children are given the tools they need to succeed, we will ensure our kids are ready to begin school ready to learn," Granholm said. "BHK's program is an exemplary model for other programs throughout Michigan and across the country."
The five-year, $200,000 per year competitive grant award from the national Office of Head Start designates BHK as Michigan's Head Start Center of Excellence. The grant will help improve the quality of early childhood education across Michigan by allowing BHK to share its best practices with other Head Start programs and other providers of early childhood education.
Locally, BHK will expand and enhance several of its family involvement programs aimed at improving the school readiness of children. BHK currently serves 447 children through its Head Start program and more than 2,000 children from prenatal through school age through a variety of services at more than three dozen locations across the western Upper Peninsula.
"We're thrilled to be recognized as one of the top Head Start programs in America," said Greg Filpus, chairperson of the BHK Board of Directors. "Over the years, we have taken great pride in delivering effective, innovative services to meet human needs. It is an honor to be recognized for our quality, and we look forward to using this funding to improve the school readiness for children both locally and across Michigan."
The Centers for Excellence program was established by Congress in the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007. Congress appropriated funding for the program in 2009. In addition to Michigan, nine other Centers of Excellence were designated this year in Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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