Press Releases

LOWELL, MA - Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) applauded the awarding of $9,748,905 in federal Head Start funding to three organizations in the Third District: Community Teamwork, Inc., Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc., and Making Opportunity Count, Inc.

“This additional federal Head Start funding will be essential to organizations working tirelessly to support children and families across the Third District, especially as we reopen our economy and get parents back to work,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Community Teamwork, Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, and Making Opportunity Count are vital partners in our communities, and these investments will help those most in need of affordable child care. I look forward to continuing to work with these organizations and others to ensure that Head Start and child care programs across the Commonwealth receive the support that they need.”

The allocations are as follows:  

• Community Teamwork: $3,744,379
• Greater Lawrence Community Action Council: $5,882,634
• Making Opportunity Count: $121,892

Community Teamwork, Inc. serves the Greater Lowell region, including more than 60 cities and towns. As a non-profit community action agency, CTI mobilizes resources for low-income individuals and families, providing opportunities for them to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and have an active voice and participation in the decisions that affect their lives.

"We are so grateful to Congresswoman Trahan for her efforts to secure this recent grant from Health and Human Services for our Early Head Start Program. This funding is so crucial to us and to many families in our community. It will ensure we are able to continue the work of educating our most vulnerable children, especially during this challenging time,” said Karen Frederick, CEO of Community Teamwork.

The Greater Lawrence Community Action Council creates opportunities by collaborating within the communities they serve to empower individuals to achieve their goals. They serve over 29,000 individuals in the Greater Lawrence region each year and provide a wide range of economic support programs for people to achieve self-sufficiency and pull themselves out of poverty.

“We are delighted to be awarded this Head Start grant so that we may continue serving 550 our families, especially during these stressful times when our children and parents need the support, care and education the teachers give them daily,” said Evelyn Friedman, Executive Director of the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council. 

Making Opportunity Count will receive funding as part of Emergency Supplemental Head Start funding made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. MOC’s mission is to empower families to achieve economic security by eliminating barriers and creating opportunities. They deliver a variety of services including child care, education, workforce development, nutrition, health, and community and housing support.

"Congresswoman Trahan continues to be a champion of early education & care and understands the essential role it plays in getting our workforce back to work,” said Kevin Reed, Executive Director of Making Opportunity Count. “Making Opportunity Count holds the taxpayers' dollars in the highest regard, and we look forward to our community and the congresswoman seeing a strong return on this investment."

Head Start is a federal program established to support the growth, development, and school-readiness of children from low-income families. These programs provide a positive learning environment that engages the whole family, and are essential to early, continuous, intensive child care. Head Start focuses on comprehensive support for the families through health care, social services, job training, housing and food assistance, and home visits. 

Trahan has been a strong supporter of Head Start and Early Head Start programs during her time in Congress. In early March, she supported passage of the American Rescue Plan, which will send more than $13.6 million in additional relief funding -- separate from this allocation -- to programs across the Commonwealth. More recently, she co-signed a letter encouraging lawmakers to prioritize funding for Head Start in the Fiscal Year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations package. During the previous debate over funding for FY 2021, Trahan also helped secure $11.5 billion in federal funding for Head Start for 2020, an increase over $1.5 billion from the previous year.

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