The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appropriated more than $27 million in federal funding to support Head Start projects across West Virginia, two public health initiatives regarding hospital preparedness and youth immunization, and funding two public health research projects at higher education institutions in West Virginia.
Three entities in southern West Virginia will receive funding.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, made the announcement on Friday.
“I am glad to see HHS invest in these programs and initiatives, which will ultimately help create healthier communities across West Virginia,” Capito said. “This funding will not only strengthen child health services and strengthen hospital preparedness procedures, but it will also support health research at WVU and Bluefield State. These resources will also aim to help improve early childhood education in West Virginia.”
The individual awards in southern West Virginia were:
• $1,329,982 — Head Start funding for the Greenbrier County Board of Education (Lewisburg, W.Va.)
• $920,866 — Head Start funding for the Monroe County Board of Education (Union, W.Va.)
• $444,000 — Allergy, immunology, and transplantation research funding awarded to Bluefield State University (Bluefield, W.Va.)