WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) has awarded Androscoggin Head Start & Child Care and the Maine Board of Emergency Medical Services two grants totaling $1,330,291.
“This funding from the Department of Health & Human Services will contribute immensely to the health and well-being of children throughout Maine,” said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “The Head Start Program provides indispensable support for young children as they enter our state’s school system and the EMSC grant is certain to facilitate improved emergency medical services for our state’s youth.”
The funding is allocated as follows:
• $1,215,291 to Androscoggin Head Start & Child Care in Lewiston for its Head Start projects, which are federally funded comprehensive school readiness programs for children ages 0-5 and their families. The program works to enhance children’s self esteem and school readiness skills and supports parents as the primary teachers of their children.
• $115,000 in an Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) grant to the Maine Board of Emergency Medical Services. EMSC grants fund States and U.S. Territories to improve existing emergency medical services (EMS) systems and to develop and evaluate improved procedures and protocols for treating children. The EMSC program is the only federal program that focuses specifically on improving the quality of children’s emergency care.
The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities, and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined.