Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird joined Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties on Wednesday to announce plans to expand Early Head Start programming in Lincoln. Community Action has received a $1,660,500 annual grant from the Office of Head Start for the expansion. Funding will allow Community Action to build its early childhood enrollment capacity from 421 to 493, adding 72 full-day, full-year center-based enrollment slots for infants and toddlers.
The expansion will fill a significant need for high-quality early childhood services in Lincoln. “Access to high-quality early childhood education forms a critical step on a child’s pathway to successful adulthood,” Mayor Gaylor Baird says. “Ensuring this access for all children, regardless of their family’s level of income, is our community’s shared priority.
Community Action has been providing Head Start services in Lincoln since 1966. In 2016, recognizing the community’s need for full-day, full-year early childhood services, the agency opened two early childhood centers in Lincoln and later added a third. The funding announced Wednesday will enable the agency to open yet another center with nine classrooms at 26th and N Streets, where child poverty rates are among the highest in the city.
Community Action estimates that there are approximately 2,000 infants and toddlers in Lincoln who would income-qualify for Early Head Start services. Eligibility is generally based on family income being at or below the poverty level ($26,500 per year for a family of four). Children in foster care, children experiencing homelessness, and children from families receiving public assistance are eligible regardless of income.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to not only provide kindergarten-readiness services to more children, but to give more parents a cost-free childcare option as they work and participate in programs to build economic stability, such as by attending professional development classes,” says Vi See, Executive Director of Community Action. “Lincoln has a high rate of workforce participation among those living in poverty, and not enough quality, affordable child care options. This program expansion will help to fill this gap.”
In addition to expanding access to high-quality early childhood education, the grant will create 30 new jobs in Lincoln. Community Action is actively recruiting Lead Teachers, Associate Teachers, Teacher Aides and other support positions.
“We’re looking for compassionate, skilled infant/toddler educators who are excited about fostering early learning,” said See. “Joining our team is a great opportunity for early childhood professionals to hone their skills, build credentials to advance their careers, and make a life-long difference in the lives of children and their families.”
To learn more, including how to apply for employment or to participate in the agency’s early childhood programs, or provide financial support visit www.communityactionatwork.org.