While the future of many government programs have been put into question in Washington, federal funds are still coming to the Head Start programs of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan announced last month that Head Start programs in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties had received more than $11 million in federal grants. The new funding will support Head Start functions in early-childhood education programs, health and nutrition programs, and family social services.
Bresnahan, R-8, Dallas Twp., lauded the Head Start program as a critical source of support to the children and families he represents.
“Head Start programs give kids the boost they need for a strong start in life,” Bresnahan said. “These grants are a significant step in supporting children and families across our region.”
The federal funds consist of around $6.01 million grant for Luzerne County Head Start, which operates in Luzerne and Wyoming counties; and $5.26 million for the Head Start program of the Agency for Community Empowerment of NEPA, or ACE of NEPA, which serves Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties.
Executive Director Elizabeth White said Luzerne County Head Start helps more than 1,000 children up to the age of five and helps low-income families throughout Luzerne and Wyoming counties. It operates 19 centers in that service area and focuses on holistic childhood education, supporting children mentally and physically, as well as socially and emotionally.
Executive Director for Luzerne County Head Start Beth White answers questions from the Luzerne Foundation Board of Directors during the nonprofit forum at the The Sidney and Pauline Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston Thursday, April 3, 2025. Standing with White is President and CEO of the Luzerne Foundation Dave Pedri. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
White emphasized that this support for children benefits both their families and the wider community.
“For nearly 60 years, Head Start has been a lifeline for children and families in our community,” White said. “We know that a child’s early years lay the foundation for lifelong learning and success.”
Executive Director Jim Wansacz said ACE of NEPA helps more than 1,000 children across Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties. He said the organization has 280 employees and a $22 million budget of which federal funding comprises approximately $10 million. The $5.26 million allocated to its Head Start program is about what the organization received last year. To supplement its federal funding, ACE of NEPA also receives significant funding from the state, as well as local governments and private sources.
Wansacz said accessible preschool programs like that provided by Head Start were needed to ensure equality.
“This Head Start funding is vital to our area,” Wansacz said. “If the first day that they ever walk into a school is in kindergarten, they are behind the rest of their lives.”
Employees set up bagged lunches at the Luzerne County Head Start wellness fair on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The federal funds are coming at a critical time for Head Start programs. Wansacz said organizations that provide early-childhood education have seen employees’ wages and benefits rise in a tight labor market. Over just the last year, Wansacz said ACE of NEPA has seen health care expenses rise 10%.
“It’s been a struggle,” Wansacz said. “Anybody that talks to you in early-childhood education knows that we have to do a better job of increasing the salaries, because you just can’t find the workers to work in these positions, which are so important.”
Wansacz said there had been momentum building in Washington to gradually eliminate federal funding for Head Start programs and organizations like ACE of NEPA. (The organization is still hoping to restore more than $1 million in federal funding for its weatherization program and its community-service block grant, the impact of which he called “tremendous.”)
Wansacz credited Bresnahan for maintaining funding for the group.
“We’re very appreciative of the congressman, because that was at one point getting zeroed out and they brought it back to current funding levels,” Wansacz said. “These 1,000 kids would not be served without this program.”
Luzerne County Head Start hosted a wellness fair for new and returning children and their families ahead of the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The new federal funds will contribute to several ACE of NEPA projects, including its work to open several preschool classrooms for the Scranton School District.
Wansacz said these government investments in groups like ACE NEPA have positive returns. He noted much of the organization’s efforts help people reenter the workforce, which in turn can help reduce the need for state and federal welfare and anti-poverty spending. The early-education programs of Head Start, for example, can provide child care, affording parents more time to go to work.
If federal funding were to end for ACE of NEPA, Wansacz said the consequences would be dire for children, necessitating the group layoff employees and close classrooms. Continued support for the program, Wansacz said, only makes economic sense.
“That would be it, you would lose a couple hundred employees and 1,000 kids wouldn’t have education,” Wansacz said. “The cost of that would be much greater than $5 million.”