(TAMPA, FL – August 28, 2024) – Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) has been awarded a new five-year grant award for Pinellas County Head Start programs. This is a federal grant provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
LSF Head Start program has been serving infants and children from birth to five years of age in Pinellas County since 2014. In that ten year period, LSF Pinellas Head Start has served over 15,000 of the most vulnerable children and families in Pinellas County.
The new Head Start award gives LSF the responsibility of annually serving 885 Head Start children, and 270 Early Head Start children. This grant will enable LSF to continue providing high-quality early childhood education and comprehensive support services to children and families in Pinellas County.
“The first five years of a child’s life are essential in preparing them for a happy, healthy future. We are excited to run Head Start in Pinellas for another five years,” said Executive Vice President of LSF Head Start Bob Bialas, “I am proud of my staff and the past ten years of service they have given to the community through LSF Head Start and I feel confident in our ability to continue serving children in this area, creating lifelong learners in Pinellas County.”
This funding ensures that LSF can further the Head Start mission to educate, equip and empower children, families and staff through partnership and efficient data driven systems to close the achievement gap. The funding will also allow LSF to foster the development and well-being of children from low-income families, preparing them for success in school and beyond.
Over the next five years, LSF will continue to offer programs that focus on education, health, nutrition and family engagement; helping to create a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
For more information about our LSF Head Start, please visit https://www.lsfheadstart.org/.
About LSF
LSF is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to helping the most vulnerable Floridians. We do this by reducing the suicide and drug addiction rate, giving families in crisis the support they need to persevere, and making sure those in poverty get the education they need to close the achievement gap.
