Oct 8, 2014 1 min read

More than $9.8 million has been awarded to 32 early education providers in 27 counties across the state through the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program.

In July, Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law the state budget that increased state funding for Pre-K Counts by $10 million to $97.3 million – a 12 percent increase.

“High-quality early learning programs, like Pre-K Counts, are proven to ensure at-risk children are ready to learn when they enter the K-12 education system,” Gov. Corbett said. “This funding will provide the opportunity for more Pennsylvania families to enroll their child in a pre-kindergarten program.”

Community Action Southwest, which serves Washington and Greene counties, received $628,800 of the total for Pre-K Counts.

Pre-K Counts provides half-day and full-day pre-kindergarten services to children who are: between age 3 and the beginning age of kindergarten; at risk of facing challenges in school; living in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($67,050 for a family of four); and who may be English language learners or have disabilities or developmental delays.