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Head Start gets OK for Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership Grant
The local Head Start program has been approved to receive the Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership Grant amounting to $688,638, which would allow for the continued implementation of the Early Learning Initiative, the only program of its kind in the region.
Council chair Roy Ada made the announcement during a Head Start Policy Council special meeting at the Pacific Islands Club on Nov. 6.
The Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership grant is proposed to begin on Feb. 1 next year to aid in the Public School System’s need for proper childcare, intervention and education for infants and toddlers from low-income families.
The grant was originally submitted on Oct. 1, which the Board of Education reviewed and approved. However, it was recommended to include additional information and revisions such as professional development funding, management systems and maintenance costs, among other things.
Head Start and Early Head Start director Melissa Palacios, along with the Head Start Policy Council expressed the need to fill vacancies and provide training to future personnel. Although the issue of lack of personnel is widespread in PSS, the council is proposing some new ways to recruit and garner interest among the community in early childhood education.
According to Palacios, the Early Head Start program is progressing and resources are still being gathered to prepare for its tentative opening despite the delays caused by Typhoon Soudelor.
In an update provided by Environmental Health and Facilities Manager Wayne Pangelinan, renovations for Head Start facilities in Kagman, Dandan, and Chalan Kanoa are nearing completion.
Facility repairs include electrical issues, as well as A/C and pipe repairs. Other long term needs will include roofing repairs, playground hazards, canopy needs, and the prevention of flooding.
Ada said, however, that the classrooms are still operating efficiently, which continues to be one of the priorities.
