On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) announced $8,615,877 in federal funding was awarded to the Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST).

According to a news release, the grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.

The funds will go towards CACOST’s Head Start and Early Head Start program, which serves over 1,000 children and families in South Texas.

“CACOST provides a number of important services and programs to South Texas families,” Vela said in a news release. “These funds will support the Head Start program and parents and children in our communities, and I will continue to offer my support to ensure that efforts to reduce poverty and increase educational and health care access remain accessible to those most in need. ”