Allegany County ACCORD Head Start will receive $155,206 from the promise to Make America Healthy Again
From ACCORD,
According to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and its Office of Head Start (OHS), more than $61 million in supplemental nutrition funding has been awarded to strengthen nutrition services, promote healthy eating habits, and expand access to nutrient-dense foods across more than 290 Head Start programs nationwide, benefiting over 100,000 children and families.
In the national ACF announcement, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated, “When children have access to fresh, nutritious food, we don’t just feed them for a day — we set them on a path to lifelong health,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “By putting nutrition at the center of health, we are restoring trust in our public health system and delivering on our promise to Make America Healthy Again.”
The supplemental nutrition awards will accelerate Head Start programs’ capacity to improve the health and well-being of children and families. ACCORD’s Head Start program will receive $155,206 to modernize our main kitchen at the Friendship location, create designated breastfeeding spaces at each center, purchase supplies, materials, and food to promote healthy eating for children and families, create community gardens in Friendship and Wellsville, and purchase a nutrition education curriculum to support preschool children and their families.
In the same national announcement, ACF Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison stated, “This investment marks a sea change to prioritize prevention over treatment by nourishing the minds and bodies of young children — tackling chronic disease at its roots and restoring the health of our nation’s most vulnerable.”
The grant process was extremely competitive, with approximately 25% of applications receiving funding. Selected Head Start programs will receive funds to implement their nutrition initiatives over the next 12 months, with long-term impacts expected to benefit Head Start families and communities for years to come.
Federal Funding Acknowledgement
This project is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and other partners. The contents are those of ACCORD Corporation and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HHS, ACF, or the U.S. Government.
Learn more about the national announcement at headstart.gov/nutrition/press-release/hhs-expands-maha-head-start-adding-61-9-million-nutrition-services-children-families
About ACCORD Corporation
As Allegany County’s Community Action Agency, ACCORD Corporation is committed to empowering people, strengthening families, and building community. Guided by its belief in the strength, dignity, and potential of all people, ACCORD works to improve the community’s response to rural poverty and create pathways to stability and self-sufficiency.
www.accordcorp.org
