Tester Secures Nearly $1 Million for Kootenai Valley Head Start

Grant will help Lincoln County obtain childcare and early education opportunities

As part of his ongoing effort to help Montana kids get the resources they need to succeed, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today a $915,471 grant for the Kootenai Valley Head Start program in Libby.

“When it comes to our kids’ future, we should be giving them the tools they need to be successful right off the bat,” said Tester. “Head Start gives Montana families access to these resources, helping them raise our next generation of leaders by providing them with the educational, physical, and emotional support they need.”

The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide better access to crucial resources for early childhood education. In addition to education, Head Start offers pathways toward successful nutrition, health, and childrearing, including information on pre- and postnatal health to families.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a former teacher and school board member, Tester has been an unwavering advocate for education, particularly for low income families. In recent government funding negotiations, he secured more than $10 billion for Head Start Programs nationwide, an increase of more than $550 million over the previous year. He also recently announced a grant of nearly $1.5 million for Missoula Head Start and more than $1 million for Havre’s program.