Daily News

Donahue Institute Receives $14M Contract for Head Start Programs

BOSTON — The UMass Donahue Institute has been awarded a five-year, $14 million contract to provide training and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start programs for all of New England.

The institute will work with local Head Start programs on their educational, health, and family services as well as management systems to strengthen their ability to serve children and their families. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5 in centers, child-care partner locations, and their own homes. Early Head Start also provides services to pregnant women. Head Start and Early Head Start services include early learning, health, and family well-being.

“We are very proud that the University of Massachusetts has emerged as one of the national leaders in providing training and technical assistance to Head Start programs,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “The Donahue Institute’s work — which complements the early childhood programs at UMass Boston and UMass Amherst — is another outstanding example of the impact that UMass is having, not just in Massachusetts, but across all of New England.”

Added J. Lynn Griesemer, executive director of the UMass Donahue Institute, “we are delighted and honored to receive this award. We have been the predominant provider of training and technical assistance to Head Start in this region for the past 12 years and have gained an outstanding reputation.”

The contract was awarded by the Office of Head Start in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, Head Start/Early Head Start is divided into 12 regions. The UMass Donahue Institute will be the sole provider of training and technical assistance to Region 1, which includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

“We are very excited to continue supporting Head Start programs throughout New England and helping them to improve the wonderful work they already do,” said Bess Emanuel, Head Start regional training and technical assistance coordinator with the UMass Donahue Institute.