>> EDUCATION
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff announced a $1.8 million Head Start grant for Baldwin County July 17 at the Early Learning Center.
The Early Learning Center was crowded with faculty, staff, and local leaders including: Floyd Griffin, Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig, Baldwin County commission chair Emily Davis, Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar, Sheriff Bill Masse, Fire Chief Victor Young, member of the local branch of the NAACP Susie Marshall, members of the Baldwin County Board of Education, Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan and Baldwin County Superintendent Dr. Noris Price that were excited to hear details on the Head Start grant.
Head Start offers comprehensive early learning services at no cost to children between three and five years of age with special needs or from low-income families. According to Price, the program focuses on language and early learning development, health, and nutrition, and offers mental health services. She also stressed the program places a strong emphasis on family engagement.
“We believe that we cannot do the job of educating our students without the parents, a key part of that process,” said Price. “So, we also work closely with the families and provide resources and parent workshops so they may continue to support their children at home.”
The Head Start grant will upgrade the program and expand its opportunities. As of last year, the program had 210 students with 85 of those students being three years old.
According to Price, there is already a waiting list for the three-year-old age group.
When meeting with Ossoff, Price informed him of the lack of funding and space, which the grant will assist with, and also informed him of future goals.
“We applied for Early Head Start for four years and have yet to receive it. When meeting with Senator Ossoff, I made him aware of this and aware of our program’s needs,” said Price. “He will be going back to Washington and will see what he can do for us so we can offer the Head Start program from birth to 5 years old.”
Ossoff took to the podium after Price and expressed his excitement to offer this grant and to continue working toward the unmet needs of educators and their students. He emphasized there was bipartisan support to strengthen the Head Start program and that this grant will provide “significant strengthening” to Baldwin County’s program.
“I know how divided and hateful politics can seem on television but I want you to know that when the rubber meets the road we are working together to get things done for the people. That means bringing folks together,” said Ossoff. “Head Start takes many different forms across Georgia but I think what Baldwin County has is a great model. A model where you integrate federal funds with your Pre-K program to not only create early childhood education opportunities but wraparound services that help the entire family.”
Ossoff emphasized that he came not only to offer a “strengthening” of the Head Start program but to meet with local leaders to talk about how they are implementing the program and what is needed for the future.
“There are still unmet needs and from what I heard from our local leaders today, these slots for three through five-year-olds still exceed what is available. So while I am here with great news about expanding the Head Start program, I plan to continue to work with these local leaders to do more,” said Ossoff. “It is only because local leaders across the country raised their voices to express the vital importance of strengthening early childhood education that we were able to make this possible.”
Ossoff concluded the press conference by giving thanks to all of the local leaders and emphasizing, one last time, that it is because of the public voice that these grants and opportunities are made possible.