To begin this fall
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The Head Start program for Moody County has a new home, allowing the class for pre-school children to start again this fall.
In addition, the free program will expand the children’s day to seven hours four days a week to meet a new federal standard being implemented, said Steph Lebeda, Head Start and pre-birth director at Inter-Lakes Community Action in Madison.
Head Start will rent space at the Moody County Extension building, paying Moody County $800 a month under a proposed contract. The program will have space for 17 children.
“The need is definitely, I believe, there,” she said.
Moody County didn’t have Head Start classes this past year because a suitable location couldn’t be found. The program needs to be able to leave its classroom set up, rather than take everything down each day or week.
Head Start will be able to leave its classroom and equipment in place at the extension building, but that will mean others won’t be able to rent it during the school year, said Marty Skroch, assistant to the Moody County Commission, which has approved the contract to use the space. A twice-weekly exercise class will be able to meet, and 4-H programming will continue to use the space, he said.
The county previously rented the space for $100 for each event but never rented it eight times a month, Skroch said.
“Having that Head Start facility here, it’s important,” he said. “It’s benefiting the county.”
Having space set aside for Head Start is important, Lebeda said. “Not having to set up and tear down makes a big difference. It’s nice to have some dedicated space.”
Children have to be 3 years old by Sept. 1 but younger than school age to qualify for the income-based program. Parents can find out if they qualify and sign up at the Flandreau ICAP office.
Breakfast, lunch and a snack will be provided, Lebeda said.
The seven-hour day doubles the 3.5 hours a day children previously attended Head Start. “Basically, it’s more like a school day setting,” she said.
In November 2016, the federal program started to change requirements to 1,020 hours of programming in eight months by 2021. The local Head Start will have a teacher and two aides, including one that will work with dietary.
“We are starting to move our classrooms to this,” Lebeda said of the extended time.
