Pennsylvania is getting $18.6 million in federal economic stimulus money for Early Head Start programs, enabling nearly 1,600 more children to be served.

Early Head Start is for children from birth to age 3 and pregnant women.

"A critical focus of the federal recovery program was to bolster education, and making investments in early childhood education is one of the smartest strategies," state Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak said in a news release yesterday.

Grant recipients include: Butler County Educational Service Center, $403,274 for 40 children; Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc., Greensburg, $487,387 for 78 children; Pittsburgh Public Schools, $443,448 for 72 children; and University of Pittsburgh, $1,069,331 for 140 children.

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