WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) toured the South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) to celebrate the $900,000 federal investment she secured in the 2024 federal budget. The funding will upgrade the HVAC system within SMOC’s Head Start facility, helping to ensure the health of the program’s students and lower costs for the organization and parents.
“For so many families, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) is a lifeline, and their child care program is no exception,” said Whip Clark. “With the funding I secured, SMOC will be able to upgrade their Head Start HVAC system, ensuring our young learners have a safe space to learn. There’s no better investment than child care – it helps our kids grow, enables parents to work, and allows our economy to thrive.”
"We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Katherine Clark for this Community Project Funding (CPF) grant, which will allow SMOC to install a modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in our Child Care and Head Start facility in South Framingham,” said SMOC CEO Susan Gentili. "The new system will ensure that children from this historically underserved community will benefit from abundant fresh air circulation for years to come. These improvements are key to SMOC's mission to provide equitable Head Start and Child Care programming to the families we serve.”
In total, Whip Clark has secured $13 million for 15 local community projects in the Fifth District. The projects were selected in collaboration with state and local leaders and include:
- Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition (GMAACC), City of Malden: $1,000,000
- Belmont Community Path, Town of Belmont: $1,000,000
- Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, City of Framingham: $1,666,279
- Horn Pond Treatment Plant PFAS Removal Project, City of Woburn: $959,757
- EB Newton Center Health Department, City of Winthrop: $125,000
- Food for Free Equipment Upgrades, City of Cambridge: $375,300
- Hegner Community Center, City of Medford: $850,000
- Malden River Works Project, City of Malden: $1,560,000
- Riverside and Gibson Park Project, City of Revere: $500,000
- Green Infrastructure in the Mystic, Town of Arlington: $959,757
- Waltham Boys and Girls Club HVAC Project, City of Waltham: $1,046,103
- Wellesley Commuter Rail ADA Compliance Project, Town of Wellesley: $500,000
- Sudbury Emergency Operations Center, Town of Sudbury: $500,000
- Lebanon and Sylvan Street Stormwater Management Project, City of Melrose: $1,000,000
Whip Clark has long recognized child care as essential infrastructure that is key to our economic prosperity. She’s brought home millions in federal funding for local projects that expand child care access and she secured $50 billion to keep providers afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clark is also the House sponsor for the Child Care Stabilization Act and the Child Care is Infrastructure Act, both of which would help lower child care costs for families while increasing pay for early childhood educators.
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