Oh, SNAP

More families now qualify for NeighborImpact’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs, thanks to a change made by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Early Head Start provides children ages 0-3 and pregnant women with family support, weekly home visits, health assessments and monthly playgroups. In Head Start, children ages 3-5 are given quality preschool education in a classroom setting, in addition to health care, dental care and family engagement opportunities.
The DHHS change makes it possible for families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to qualify automatically for Head Start. Now, families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline may enroll their children in this high-quality pre-k program. This change has already had a significant impact on the program’s applicant pool, of which 40 percent were SNAP recipients in the last quarter.
“Children and families who would have not been able to receive NeighborImpact Early Head Start/Head Start services can now participate. It is truly a gift,” said Head Start director, Kim Brown. “We are thrilled at the prospects of helping even more kids prepare for school.”