Congresswoman Brown Visits Step Forward’s William Patrick Day Head Start Early Learning Center, Highlights Importance of Federal Funding for Early Education

Cleveland, OH – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) visited Step Forward’s William Patrick Day Head Start Early Learning Center in Cleveland to recognize their recent federal grant award, meet with Step Forward leadership and educators, and read to the children.

In July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Step Forward a federal grant of $15,121,321 to provide Head Start (ages 3-5) and Early Head Start (ages 0-3) programs in Northeast Ohio.

Photos available for media here – parents/guardians of all minors signed consent forms

Congresswoman Brown met with Step Forward’s President/Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm, Dr. Thea Wilson, Vice President of Children and Families, and other members of Step Forward’s leadership team to learn more about the needs of local students and families and how the federal government can better support early education.

“I appreciated the opportunity to visit the William Patrick Day Early Learning Center, meet with children enrolled in Head Start, and learn more about the challenges facing local kids and families and services Step Forward provides. I’d like to congratulate Step Forward on their well-deserved federal funding award, which is making a difference for thousands of children in Northeast Ohio. Investments in early education and child care are some of the most important we can make. I am proud to support Head Start and federal child care funding. With unthinkable attacks like Donald Trump’s Project 2025 proposal to eliminate Head Start, I will continue to oppose such attacks to prevent devastation for 33,000 children in Ohio and many others across the country,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

Project 2025 would eliminate Head Start jeopardizing the early education opportunities for approximately 3,700 low-income children in Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District. Statewide, over 33,000 Ohio kids are enrolled in Head Start.

The American Rescue Plan provided stabilization grants to support over 225,000 child care providers, serving as many as 10 million children across the United States. House Republicans refused to continue this grant program and have blocked any action on major child care investments during the 118^th Congress. Congresswoman Brown is a cosponsor of the Child Care Stabilization Act (H.R. 5433) which would extend this grant program.

Since 1965, Head Start programs have reached more than 38 million children nationwide.

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