4C will continue to run early-learning programs throughout Central Florida

The uncertainty is over for parents who rely on Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Central Florida: Providers in Seminole, Osceola and Orange counties will remain unchanged this year.

Those details had been up in the air since Community Coordinated Care for Children Inc. (4C) was forced to rebid its contract after getting low scores on classroom evaluations in 2012. The public school districts in Seminole and Osceola counties also had been in limbo, having applied last fall to take over part of the work.

Head Start is a free school-readiness program for children from lowincome families and children with disabilities.

“I’m very happy they got it back,” said Chandrea Washington, whose 15-month-old daughter, Te’Nyra, attends Early Head Start at the Rio Grande center. “It’s a great help for people who have low incomes, like myself.”

The free day care and guidance from a family advocate has helped her balance a part-time job at UPS and studies in medical-office administration at Valencia College, she said.

Patricia Frank, 4C’s president, said her agency will not take the contract for granted.

“We have an opportunity to increase the quality of services provided so children enter school better prepared to learn,” she said.

On July 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the five-year contract, worth about $7 million a year, to 4C. It will remain responsible for running Early Head Start programs for newborns to 3-year-olds in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties and Head Start programs for 3- to 5-year-olds in Seminole and Osceola counties. The programs will operate at least 25 sites through--

out Central Florida for 670 students and 20 pregnant women.

Although the school districts didn’t get the contract, they want to be part of the early childhood program in the future. 4C has met with public school officials in the three counties about working together as soon as fall 2015, possibly on a program that would extend Early Head Start services fromsix to 10 hours a day.

“Wewant to do whatever we can do to help,” said MarjorieMurray, whooversaw Seminole’s application to take over Head Start in that county. “I think they want to provide a quality program.”

4C has improved training, oversight and direct assistance for teachers since a 2012 evaluation ranked its Head Start programs as “low” in several instructional areas and in the bottom 10 percent nationwide in classroom organization, Frank said.

The results are beginning to show. Seminole County kindergarten teachers already are reporting that children who completed Head Start in 2013 were more prepared than those from 2012, Murray said.

The contract will involve replacing some portable classrooms in Seminole and Osceola counties. Seminole County schools will replace a number of other portable classrooms for the program.

Frank said 4C is also investing more in direct training and assistance for teachers, assistants and site supervisors this year.