| Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now, Inc. “The Greater Norwalk Area’s Community Action Agency” Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now, Inc. (NEON a private non-profit organization, is the community action agency serving the greater Norwalk Area including New Canaan, Westport, Weston, Wilton and Darien. |
| One Step Ahead In Childcare |
NORWALK — A recent
federal review of Norwalk
Economic Opportunity
Now's Head Start program
confirms what organization
members said they have
known all along: The early
childcare program is a
model for anyone who
wants to usher impoverished
children toward success.
Unlike three years ago, the
review by the federal Office
of Head Start — part of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services — found NEON's early childcare program to
be in compliance with nearly all of the organization's
performance standards.
"This is good news, very good news," said Joseph Mann,
executive director of NEON. "We're extremely excited about it,
and we want people to know this so they can recognize that
we run a good quality program here. NEON is doing what it
should be doing to create a positive environment for
children."
Office of Head Start personnel made an on-site visit to review
the performance of the early childcare program from March 4
through March 9. The group found NEON to provide good
medical and mental help to children, communicate well with
parents and the community-at-large and provide a safe
environment for the children and staff.
"This really shows that NEON as an organization has made
improvements, especially in fiscal oversight," said Rose Marie
McKenzie, NEON childcare director. "They've taken
ownership of the childcare program."
Had NEON failed to sufficiently meet the U.S. department's
standards, Office of Head Start employees would revisit the
organization annually instead of once every three years.
NEON's Head Start — an early childcare development
program funded by the federal government — did not meet
the criteria three years ago and has had to meet with federal
reviewers since then.
"Since three years ago, we've worked really hard on our
mission of providing a first-class program. We have a new
childcare director; now we're on track," Mann said. "We have
stability here, and we're focused on what we need to do,
which is educate and help our children."
Three-, four- and five-year-olds attend the Head Start
program, and more than 90 percent of the children come
from families that live below the federal poverty levels. For
example, a four-person family would need to make $20,650
or less to be living under the poverty level.
"And when you think about that money in Fairfield County, it's
even worse," McKenzie said.
Head Start students follow a federally mandated curriculum,
and McKenzie said the program does not only focus on
children learning to write their name and label colors.
"We look at the family holistically," she said. "You can't just
have a child in school for six to 10 hours a day and not look
at the other influences in a child's life. We do hearing, vision
and dental screenings here; we have a full-time nurse on
staff that interacts with the parents to make sure there are
updated physicals. We look at comprehensive health care
coverage."
NEON complied with the following standards: health services,
nutritional services, safe environments, disabilities services,
mental health services, family and community services,
transportation services and education and early childhood
development services. It did not comply with policy of fees
and determining community strengths and needs.
According to the report, NEON had a written policy that
stated Head Start parents who are late to pick their child up
from the preschool will be fined, which Mann said was not
meant for that group of parents.
"That's meant for parents of children in our other programs,
not Head Start," Mann said. "We changed that wording
immediately."
Mann added no Head Start parents had been charged if they
were late.
"We also failed to include a collection and analysis of data
related to the number of children in the service area
(Norwalk) with disabilities," Mann said. "We'll do that."
It's crucial to give children a preschool education, Mann and
McKenzie said, and it allows children to enter kindergarten on
a level playing field with their peers — something that doesn't
always happen with low-income students.
"One of the important things that Head Start has always
focused on is the social adjustment of children. Just learning
to sit and listen or button your own shirts make the transition
to kindergarten much easier. They learn how to socialize
properly," McKenzie said. "Head Start looks at the whole
family and the whole child. If we just focus on academics, that
won't help the child. We have to keep that comprehensive
approach. If the child isn't healthy or doesn't have enough
food, how can they learn to write their name or learn their
colors?"
federal review of Norwalk
Economic Opportunity
Now's Head Start program
confirms what organization
members said they have
known all along: The early
childcare program is a
model for anyone who
wants to usher impoverished
children toward success.
Unlike three years ago, the
review by the federal Office
of Head Start — part of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services — found NEON's early childcare program to
be in compliance with nearly all of the organization's
performance standards.
"This is good news, very good news," said Joseph Mann,
executive director of NEON. "We're extremely excited about it,
and we want people to know this so they can recognize that
we run a good quality program here. NEON is doing what it
should be doing to create a positive environment for
children."
Office of Head Start personnel made an on-site visit to review
the performance of the early childcare program from March 4
through March 9. The group found NEON to provide good
medical and mental help to children, communicate well with
parents and the community-at-large and provide a safe
environment for the children and staff.
"This really shows that NEON as an organization has made
improvements, especially in fiscal oversight," said Rose Marie
McKenzie, NEON childcare director. "They've taken
ownership of the childcare program."
Had NEON failed to sufficiently meet the U.S. department's
standards, Office of Head Start employees would revisit the
organization annually instead of once every three years.
NEON's Head Start — an early childcare development
program funded by the federal government — did not meet
the criteria three years ago and has had to meet with federal
reviewers since then.
"Since three years ago, we've worked really hard on our
mission of providing a first-class program. We have a new
childcare director; now we're on track," Mann said. "We have
stability here, and we're focused on what we need to do,
which is educate and help our children."
Three-, four- and five-year-olds attend the Head Start
program, and more than 90 percent of the children come
from families that live below the federal poverty levels. For
example, a four-person family would need to make $20,650
or less to be living under the poverty level.
"And when you think about that money in Fairfield County, it's
even worse," McKenzie said.
Head Start students follow a federally mandated curriculum,
and McKenzie said the program does not only focus on
children learning to write their name and label colors.
"We look at the family holistically," she said. "You can't just
have a child in school for six to 10 hours a day and not look
at the other influences in a child's life. We do hearing, vision
and dental screenings here; we have a full-time nurse on
staff that interacts with the parents to make sure there are
updated physicals. We look at comprehensive health care
coverage."
NEON complied with the following standards: health services,
nutritional services, safe environments, disabilities services,
mental health services, family and community services,
transportation services and education and early childhood
development services. It did not comply with policy of fees
and determining community strengths and needs.
According to the report, NEON had a written policy that
stated Head Start parents who are late to pick their child up
from the preschool will be fined, which Mann said was not
meant for that group of parents.
"That's meant for parents of children in our other programs,
not Head Start," Mann said. "We changed that wording
immediately."
Mann added no Head Start parents had been charged if they
were late.
"We also failed to include a collection and analysis of data
related to the number of children in the service area
(Norwalk) with disabilities," Mann said. "We'll do that."
It's crucial to give children a preschool education, Mann and
McKenzie said, and it allows children to enter kindergarten on
a level playing field with their peers — something that doesn't
always happen with low-income students.
"One of the important things that Head Start has always
focused on is the social adjustment of children. Just learning
to sit and listen or button your own shirts make the transition
to kindergarten much easier. They learn how to socialize
properly," McKenzie said. "Head Start looks at the whole
family and the whole child. If we just focus on academics, that
won't help the child. We have to keep that comprehensive
approach. If the child isn't healthy or doesn't have enough
food, how can they learn to write their name or learn their
colors?"
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| NEON, Inc. 98 South Main Street Norwalk, CT 06854 Phone: 203-899-2483 Fax: 203.899.2430 Email: admin@neon-norwalk.org |
Program
By Anna Gustafson
The Hour, May 1, 2007
By Anna Gustafson
The Hour, May 1, 2007
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