Tester secures more than $1.1 Million for Havre Area Head Start

Note: This was provided by the office of Sen. Jon Tester 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced Monday that the Havre Area Head Start and Early Head Start program will receive $1,145,047 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding to continue providing early education opportunities and child care services for families in Northcentral Montana.

“One of the most critical investments we can make is in the next generations of Montanans who will lead our state into the future,” Tester said. “Havre’s Head Start program gives Montana families the resources they need to ensure their kids have the tools they need to be successful right off the bat, and I’m proud to have pushed for this funding.”

The funding comes from the Administration for Children and Families, which oversees Head Start programs across Montana. Havre’s Head Start program offers preschool and infant care options for parents who need daycare for their children, information for young families on pregnancy and fetal development, and school readiness material to make sure Montana kids are prepared for kindergarten.

A former elementary school teacher and school board member, Tester has been a long-time champion for Head Start programs in Montana. As a senior member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, he secured more than $10 billion in funding for Head Start programs nationwide in recent budget negotiations. In addition, he secured $1.8 million in Head Start funding in Butte, more than $1 million for Great Falls Early Head Start, and $1.3 million for Head Start in Lame Deer.