A Marin child care agency has received $4.9 million in federal Head Start funding for the first year of a five-year grant award.
Community Action Marin, which serves infants and children at 11 centers, will now be able to add subsidized spots for children up to age 13, according to Chandra Alexandre, the organization’s chief executive officer.
The funds allow for another 138 slots, up from 500, for this fiscal year, Alexandre said.
“The funding grant is for five years, with renewals annually, as is standard for this award and how federal funding operates,” she said.
The organization will leverage the federal money with more than $18.6 million in state funding to expand its overall operations by about 20%, she said.
Community Action Marin, which is based in Novato, is one of the larger nonprofit providers of early childhood education services to low-income families in the county. Most of its centers are in Marin City, Novato, San Rafael and West Marin.
Aideen Gaidmore, chief executive of the Marin Child Care Council, said the extra 138 slots will be a welcome addition to the state-funded child care contracts already serving 920 children in the county. The Marin Child Care Council also serves another 913 children through the subsidy voucher system, she said.
However, more than 450 children are on a waiting list for service, Gaidmore said.
“The demand for child care funding continues to far exceed available resources,” she said.
Meanwhile, as part Community Action Marin’s overall expansion, it is partnering with Child Start Inc., which manages family child care homes. The partnership will allow Community Action Marin to increase the number of family child care homes from 10 to 20 in areas where families meet federal eligibility requirements.
“We are honored to serve Marin County and work with its hardworking family child care providers, leveraging our shared experiences in providing high-quality, comprehensive, early child care and education services to meet the needs of children and families in high poverty areas,” said Juan Cisneros, executive director of Child Start Inc.
Cisneros said the initial focus for the additional family child care homes will be in Novato and San Rafael, but it will expand to other areas as needed.
Alexandre said the partnerships and additional funding “will allow people to access the high-quality child care services that they want, while also ensuring family well-being, economic mobility and pathways to stabilization.”
The federal Office of Head Start experienced some layoffs and restructuring earlier this year, but Head Start was spared cuts in President Trump’s budget, according to CalMatters, a nonprofit news organization.
Alexandre said that while Head Start has had “strong bipartisan support” for decades, the current policy and funding outlook is complex.
“Final decisions on those funding levels will happen this fall as Congress completes the appropriations process,” she said. The federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
Alexandre said Community Action Marin is determined to continue despite a “climate of uncertainty.”
“The legacy of Head Start as foundational to school readiness and an essential resource to children and families of low income extends across communities and across generations,” she said.
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