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Date: 5/16/2022
WORCESTER/HAMPDEN COUNTY- Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC) Head Start/Early Head Start program is actively recruiting for children and families for their programs to get children ready for school and reaching milestones. In addition, they are hiring classroom teachers, family advocates and family educators. The agency is working hard to rebuild enrollment and replenish staff.
When COVID-19 first hit, WCAC’s Headstart/Early Headstart program shut down and subsequently reopened on July 1, 2020. Director of Program Development & Design Kathleen Dow said, “We had 100 children total we could take into the building, 10 children in each room with two staff members. Normally, we would operate 18 children to two staff members. We were limited on materials. Everything was cleaned right after a child touched it and we tried to social distance as much as possible.”
Dow stressed how hard it was to keep rooms open, but also saw that they needed to get families back to work. “COVID[-19] has affected us in the way we do what we do and do best,” Dow responded. “The fact that many of our staff left really has hurt not only our program, but the early education and care field in general.”
There are many programs that shut down in the spring of 2020 that have never reopened as WCAC could not find enough staff or did not have the children that came back for the programs. Dow said she and her team are doing the best they can to bring children on and are diligently recruiting for the fall semester of 2022.
WCAC’s Head Start/Early Head Start offers center based and home-based services for children from prenatal to age 5, providing developmentally appropriate curricula, health and nutrition services, breakfast, lunch and snack, special education opportunities and family services. Their programs serve families in Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Leicester, Millbury, Oxford, Spencer, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Warren and Webster. They are under the umbrella of the Worcester Community Action Council which is a designated community action agency for central Massachusetts.
Early Head Start is a home-based program servicing families with expectant moms, infants and toddlers. Families receive one home visit for 90 minutes each week and biweekly group socializations each month. The Head Start program serves 203 children, ages 3-5 with two sites; one located at 25 Cole Ave. in Southbridge and the other on 116 School St. in Webster.
Head Start has three options for families: a half-day program from 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., a full-day program, from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. and they have a full-day, year-round program from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Headstart/Early Headstart is federally funded; eligibility is income-based and prioritized by families with the greatest need. On June 16, WCAC’s Headstart/Early Headstart will have a open house from 3-6 p.m. at the Webster building, and another open house on June 23 at the Southbridge building from 3-6 p.m. with center tours, games, raffles and more. Families will have the opportunity to come in, see the classrooms, meet the staff, ask questions and apply.
“COVID[-19] has set us back a bit, but we’re a wonderful program, offering full services to families and helping them move forward,” said Dow.
WCAC’s Heardstart/Early Headstart offices are open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. For more information call 508-765-4738 or visit their website at www.WCAC.net/Head-Start