Tri-Town Expands Early
Head Start
The Tri-Town Community Action Agency has received a federal
grant in the amount of $270,000 from the Administration for Children and
Families through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to expand
its Early Head Start Program for infants, toddlers and pregnant women. The Agency currently provides Early Head Start services to forty families
in Johnston, North Providence, Smithfield, North Smithfield, Burrillville,
Scituate, Foster and Glocester. With
Early Head Start expansion funds, Tri-Town will have the capacity to increase
its Early Head Start Program by an additional eighteen infants, toddlers and pregnant women,
of which ten will be Home-Based and eight will be Center-Based. According to a
recent assessment, the need for an Early Head Start Program has increased dramatically over the past several years in the Tri-Town service area.
"We are thrilled to be able to
expand this vital program which is so crucial to creating strong foundations
for the future academic, social, and physical well-being of children during the
first three years of their lives," said Joseph DeSantis, Tri-Town CEO.
The funds will be used to provide child and family
development services for low-income families with infants and toddlers ages
birth to three years and pregnant women who are not currently being served by a
Head Start Program. Early Head Start provides early, continuous, intensive and
comprehensive child development and family support services. The major purpose
of the program is to enhance children's physical, social, emotional and
intellectual development; to assist pregnant women to access comprehensive
pre-natal and post partum care; to support parents' efforts to fulfill their
parental roles; and to help parents move toward self-sufficiency.
According to Rhonda Farrell, the Tri-Town Head Start Director,
"Research demonstrates that such early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive
programs that are well implemented, improve school readiness outcomes for
children."
Children and families enrolled in the home-based option
are visited for 90 minutes each week and also benefit from bi-weekly group socialization
experiences at Tri-Towns' Early Head Start Centers. Families enrolled in the
home-based option also have the opportunity to participate in the nationally
recognized Parents as Teachers Program.
The Center-Based Program is a full-day, full year
early childhood education program which includes full access to Tri-Town's
social services, health care, nutrition, dental and oral health, parent
involvement, special needs services, and children's mental health. Additionally,
Tri-Town has partnerships with Early Intervention providers throughout the
state for occupational, physical, speech and language therapy. For more
information please contact: Rhonda Farrell,
Head Start Director |
