Head Start Program Coming To Newtown

By Larissa Lytwyn

  The Connecticut Resource Development Corporation, founded by former Congressman James Maloney, was recently awarded a federal grant to administer the Northern Fairfield County chapter of child development program Head Start in eight towns, including Newtown.

A dozen Newtown families are eligible for Head Start services, which primarily bases eligibility on financial needs, beginning this September.

   After running Head Start for 25 years, the administratively troubled Danbury-based Community Action Committee relinquished the program to the federal government. In the three years since, Head Start has been temporarily operated by ABCD, a Bridgeport based social service agency.

“Being overseen by ABCD was just a temporary solution until a permanent sponsor could be found,” explained Mr Maloney. “Several state agencies, including the Connecticut Resource Development Corporation, competed in a bid to be awarded the federal grant to oversee Head Start permanently.”

On January 19, the Administration of Children and Families of the US Department of Health and Human services publicly awarded the Connecticut Resource Development Corporation the $1.6 million federal grant, which also includes a $400,000 state grant and $500,000 in cash and in-kind services from the Danbury school board and the city of Danbury.

The corporation officially picks up Head Start’s reigns on July 1.

“The next step is to meet with the town officials of each town in northern Fairfield County,” Mr Maloney said, “towns including Sherman, New Fairfield, Redding, Bethel, Ridgefield, and Newtown.”

 Mr Maloney and other Connecticut Resource Development Corporation representatives plan to meet with Newtown First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, the school board and other municipal offices over the next few weeks.

“It is important to us that Head Start remain based in Danbury, where it has been for about 30 years,” said Mr Maloney. “Head Start is intended to be a community-based program.”

There are many ways that Head Start could be administered in Newtown, he said. “Danbury schools have usually run programs in classrooms after-school,” he said. “A lot of churches also have classroom space they rarely use during weekdays.”

Mr Maloney emphasized the importance of working with town officials to establish Head Start services “in as best a way possible.”

For more information on the Head Start program, visit the National Head Start Association at www.nhsa.org, the Department of Health and Human Services at www.dhhs.gov or call Mr Maloney at 734-4253.