New Haven's LULAC Director Praises CT 'Head Start on Housing' Program

NEW HAVEN, CT — Monday, the expansion of the state's first-in-the-nation Head Start on Housing pilot program was announced, and was praised by LULAC Head Start of New Haven director Mikyle Byrd-Vaughn.

Gov. Ned Lamont, along with Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno of the Connecticut Department of Housing and Commissioner Beth Bye of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, announced the pilot program Monday.

"We are seeing the tremendous positive impact this is having on the children and families who now have a stable place to call home," Byrd-Vaughn said.

Head Start on Housing is a cross-agency collaboration to expedite access to permanent housing subsidies for Head Start households, increase the pool of landlords renting to young families, and enhance the educational performance of homeless and precariously housed children.

Connecticut's Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide children with high-quality early learning experiences to prepare them for kindergarten and comprehensive services to promote children's positive development and support family stability. Head Start agencies are required to aggressively seek out and prioritize homeless children for enrollment so that children can thrive in the classroom despite their family's challenges.

Head Start on Housing is a partnership between the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, Connecticut Department of Housing, Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, Connecticut Head Start Association, and the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare.

"This Head Start on Housing initiative is the first time LULAC Head Start has ever had direct access to housing vouchers for our families," Byrd-Vaughn said. "Head Start's comprehensive model not only provides high-quality early care and education for children, but is also responsive to the needs of families and the community."

LULAC Head Start Inc. is a comprehensive childcare and family resource center that provides high quality educational services to children from eight weeks to five years old, preparing the children and their families.

With the expansion of this program, Lamont said that Connecticut is moving closer to his goal of being the "most family-friendly state in the nation."

"Stable housing is among the most important components of a child's development and wellbeing, and by expanding this pilot program using federal housing vouchers, we will be able to connect more young families to a place they can call home," Lamont said. "Ensuring families have access to long-term, stable housing is not only possible, but it's a moral imperative."