Head Start in Lincoln County will be provided by a new administrative group this fall, but its mission of providing school readiness for children from low-income families remains the same.
Five County Child Development, based in Prentiss, will take over administration of the county’s two Head Start programs, Lindsey Head Start in Brookhaven and New Zion Head Start in Bogue Chitto. FCCD — also known as Five County Head Start — currently operates centers in Lawrence, Jefferson Davis, Simpson and Covington counties.
Mississippi Action for Progress Inc. has reduced the number of counties it will operate in from 33 to 24. Counties that will no longer be served by MAP are Lincoln, Hinds, Lauderdale, Leflore, Pearl River, Scott, Warren, Winston and Yazoo. Franklin Complex Head Start Center in Bude will remain under MAP administration, as well as the Head Start programs in MAP’s other 23 counties.
Parents of returning Head Start students don’t need to be worried about changes, MAP Chief Operations Officer Dr. Dorothy Foster told The Daily Leader.
“All of the parents who have returning students will receive a letter from MAP in the next few days about the transfer into the Five County program,” Foster said.
Letters are already being mailed, she said, and will explain what parents need to know about the administrative transfer from MAP to FCCD. Five County Child Development will assume leadership of the transferred programs on Aug. 1.
Leadership from MAP and Five County will meet and send out a joint letter when the transfer of administration is complete, Five County Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Bines said.
Head Start is for children ages 3 and 4 and is provided at no cost to families who qualify. Children experiencing homelessness, who are in foster care or are disabled are given first priority. All others who are age 3 or 4 by Sept. 1 will be considered.
For more information, Five County can be reached at 601-792-5191 or online at fivecountyhs.org.