Congressman Murphy and Private Industry Council
proud to announce Early Head Start Expansion

The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. (PIC) has been awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding in the amount of $487,387 to increase the number of children served by its Early Head Start program in Fayette County. Obtained through a competitive RFP process, this funding will enable PIC to fill an identified need in the community.

In learning of the expansion U.S. Representative Tim Murphy said, "Head Start students have shown great progress in the skills that help predict later success in school. Children who participate in Head Start and Early Head Start are more likely to finish high school and college, and less likely to become teenage parents. A successful Early Head Start program can play a pivotal role in how a young child's life turns out. This funding will aid the Private Industry Council in helping children get an early start on education."?

The Private Industry Council has been the grantee administrator of the Early Head Start Program of Fayette County since 1997. Contracted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Fayette County Early Head Start program offers comprehensive home-based services with two monthly socialization experiences to pregnant women and children from birth to three years of age. The Early Head Start program supports the physical and emotional development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, and social services to enrolled children and families. The PIC currently receives federal funding to provide Early Head Start services to 192 families.

According to Tim Yurcisin, president and CEO of PIC, "The Early Head Start program currently operating in Fayette County is working towards improving the educational, social, and economic futures of families with children ages 0-3 and expectant mothers. However, statistical and community needs data reflect a significant need for additional families to receive Early Head Start services. This award will assist us in assuring high quality services to 78 additional children, families and pregnant women of Fayette County."

This expansion funding, follows an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) award announced in October that enabled the Private Industry Council to also expand its Head Start services to accommodate an additional 36 children and families in the Fayette County. For more information on the Early Head Start program in Fayette County, please contact Sandra Hall, director of Head Start/Early Head Start/Pre-K Counts for the private Industry Council at (724) 430-4818.