Cocopah grant funds academics
The Cocopah Indian Tribe has received a grant for its Head Start Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Sherry Cordova, chairwoman of the Cocopah tribal council, said the $11,733 grant will enhance the tribe's existing Head Start program. The additional money will allow the tribe to offer more services that would not otherwise be available, she added.
"Our plans are to continue to promote school readiness as well as social and cognitive skill development necessary to succeed in today's environment whether on or off the reservation."
She said the Cocopah Tribe is consistently exploring further opportunities to expand its Head Start facilities and actively pursuing grants that may more fully develop current academic programs.
Monica Torres, Cocopah Head Start director, said the grant must be applied according to HHS requirements. Funds will go toward upgrading facilities such as purchasing playground equipment, planting mesquite trees, repairing a sun shade damaged by age and continuing teacher training.
"Most of all, we want to use the funds to encourage our teachers to remain with the program," Torres said. "By improving salaries and development opportunities, we have a greater chance of retaining our certified staff."
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., the 7th District congressman whose efforts helped secure the funding, congratulated the Cocopah Tribe for the "great news" of the recent disbursement. HHS had announced in April that Head Start and Early Head Start would be eligible for grants worth $2.1 billion under the ARRA.
"Head Start is our country's premier early childhood education program, and this grant will help these children and their families on the path to success," Grijalva said in an e-mail.
The funding is expected to be geared toward improving staff compensation and training, upgrading Head Start centers and classrooms, increasing hours of operation and augmenting transportation services, Natalie Luna, Grijalva's press secretary, said.
She also pointed out that grants totaling nearly $220 million will allow current Head Start grantees to serve 16,600 children nationwide while locally, 20 Cocopah children benefit. Additional grants of $110 million for Early Head Start ARRA and $356 million for Head Start ARRA will be used to award grantees a 5 percent cost-of-living increase and bolster training and technical assistance activities, she said.
Head Start was launched in 1965 to provide a variety of health, nutritional and social services to eligible 4- and 5-year-old preschool children and their families. The program has benefited more than 25 million children since it began.
Head Start has proven to be successful for the past 40 years and strengthen educational opportunities for the Cocopah Tribe, Luna said.
"Despite the state cutbacks for education, this grant is a positive development for the Cocopah Tribe specifically and for Arizona in general."
