Nine-county area receives funding for Head Start

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Staff Report 12:47 PM Wednesday, December 23, 2009

PIQUA — Council on Rural Services was given funding to expand Early Head Start services in its nine-county service area. In Miami County, the grant will expand services to 28 additional children and families throughout the county. The center-base model will be located in the Kids Learning Place building in Piqua and the homebase model will work throughout the county.

Enrollment and some services will begin within the next few weeks.

This expansion grant also allows the agency to hire approximately 35-40 new employees for support services in the areas where the new children will be enrolled.

The funds will allow for early intervention and individualized services beginning with the pregnant mothers’ healthy prenatal outcomes. The program also will provide seamless services for an additional 156 young children ages birth through 3 years and their families. The early childhood services for infant and toddler development will be offered by the Council on Rural Services through their Kids Learning Place™ centers.

The Early Head Start program also includes responding to young children with disabilities. Research shows the earlier a child is identified as having a developmental delay or disability, the greater the likelihood that the child will benefit from intervention strategies. For children ages birth through 3, these are the critical years for early intervention

The Council on Rural Services Head Start expansion program was one of only 11 agencies funded in Ohio.

Three counties received additional funding for both center-based and home-based services and five other counties received additional funding for home-based services.

This grant is funded through the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

For 33 years, Council on Rural Services has developed and offered early education services in west central Ohio.

For more information, visit www.councilonruralservices.org or call (937) 778-5220.

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