Center for Transforming Lives Receives Head Start National Grant

The Office of Head Start named the Center for Transforming Lives (CTL) as a new Head Start recipient, awarding the agency with a $22 million grant paid over five years. The Head Start grant enables CTL to expand its early childhood education and childcare services currently serving 6-weeks to 3-year-olds to now include 4- and 5-year-olds, all of whom are living in poverty, homelessness and/or who have special needs.

Photo courtesy of the Center for Transforming LIves

With the new Head Start grant, CTL will provide full-day early childhood education and care to 342 more preschool children each year — expanding their pre-existing Early Head Start program by 56 and doubling the number of children CTL currently serves to 772.

To accommodate the dramatic increase in children served, CTL will work in partnership with several Tarrant County school districts and host preschool programs at select local elementary schools.

With disparities between low and high-income children starting as early as 9-months of age, high-quality early learning programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers are key factors in closing the opportunity gap and making sure all children have the best odds at success.

Photo courtesy of the Center for Transforming Lives

“Becoming a Head Start grantee ensures that more children who are homeless and living in poverty in our community will get the comprehensive services they need,” said Carol Klocek, CEO. “We are committed to these children from birth through elementary school, preparing them for success in school and in life, while working alongside their parents.”

CTL (formerly the YWCA Fort Worth) has provided low-to-no cost childcare to working mothers since the 1930s, and in the last decade has expanded and improved childcare to include comprehensive early childhood education. While the children are in CTL’s care, the agency’s programming ensures parents have access to safe housing, career-readiness training, transportation and financial coaching to improve the family’s economic well-being. This comprehensive, dual-generation approach disrupts generational poverty.

The Head Start program will begin serving children in late summer 2020. To set up an interview or press questions, please contact acambora@transforminglives.org.    For additional information on Head Start or Early Head Start, please contact ksaffold@transforminglives.org or earlylearning@transforminglives.org.

DETAILS:

• Office of Head Start awards CTL $22 mil. over four years
• Grant will expand CTL’s current services for 6-week to 3-year-olds to include 4 and 5-year-olds, launching Head Start program throughout Tarrant County
• The expansion will double the number served, totalling 772 low-income and homeless children
• Grant will also increase current ‘Early Head Start’ programming (6-weeks to 3-years) by 56 children
• CTL will work with Tarrant County School Districts to integrate the program and provide access to their students
• Head Start will begin serving children late summer 2020

Photo courtesy of the Center for Transforming Lives

Since 2019, Carol Klocek has been the CEO for Center for Transforming Lives, which works alongside women and their children to disrupt the cycle of poverty by providing comprehensive homeless services, early childhood education and economic mobility services. These comprehensive services include traditional childcare and Early Head Star, family housing and trauma intervention services for women and children experiencing homelessness. The Center also offers one-on-one financial coaching and asset building, as well as other economic mobility interventions.

Klocek holds a master’s degree in social work from University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s in business from Texas Christian University. She serves as a board member for DFWI, UNT Health Science Center’s Academic Community Partnerships, and has served on boards that address homelessness, mental health, and maternal and child health.