Head Start to be under new management
Head Start programs will continue in Taylor and Clark counties, but they will be under new management beginning July 1.
Indianhead Community Action Agency (ICAA) announced in May that it was not awarded the annual grant to operate the centers in this service area for the 2021-2022 school year.
Instead, an interim management company will take over the operation of the facilities in Taylor, Clark, Rusk, Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn counties. Locally, the change impacts families using the Medford and Dorchester Head Start centers. ICAA currently operates 10 Head Start centers in the six-county region.
The Head Start program provides high-quality education and services to help income-qualified children age 3-5 become school ready. This is accomplished through support and resources for the whole family and through encouraging parents to be active in their children’s learning. The program also provides additional resources in areas like education, nutrition, health, social needs and more.
“It is essential for our Head Start families to know that their children will still be able to continue to use these services throughout and after the transition. Continuity of high-quality, childcare and education services for our communities is one of our main goals as we work through this transition,” says Jennifer Shearer, CEO of ICAA. “We know how critical Head Start services are and we want to assure our families and communities that program operations will continue to operate as smoothly as possible.”
Shearer explained that, as with other areas in non-profits, they rely on being successful in getting grants in order to provide or continue services and programs. In this case, ICAA was unsuccessful in applying to continue to run the Head Start program in the region for the coming year. She said they intend to reapply next year and are hopeful for the future.
“It is a hard, but very real truth of the nonprofit industry that funding is never promised,” Shearer said. “What we receive this year may not always be there the next. We will continue to work hard to secure funding to expand our programs and services and continue to support our staff and the community. We know how important Head Start is to our families and communities, so we will continue to seek opportunities for funding throughout the next year.”
Shearer said ICAA will apply for Head Start funding again in 2022 and is hopeful that through continued collaboration with the office of Head Start, they can resume operation of the Head Start program for the 2022-2023 school year.
The biggest change will be felt by the staff who are currently employees of ICAA. Shearer explained that ICAA will not be able to keep the staff through the transition. Given the area job market, she expects the employees will quickly find new employment. Beginning July 1, many of the Head Start staff will have the chance to apply for positions under an interim management company.
“Generally when you have transitions like this, your concern is ensuring your hard-working, dedicated staff continue their employment, and children and families see little to no interruption is this extremely valuable service,” Shearer said. “We’re grateful to see that many of our talented educators may have opportunities to continue working and serving our communities. That is what’s most important.”
Head Start operates through independent centers and collaborations with some local school districts. Local staff have many years of quality experience in providing Head Start services in area communities.
