Mississippi
County Head Start
Mississippi County, located
just south of the Bootheel of Missouri,
consists of nearly 900 square miles of
alluvial plain in the Mississippi River
Delta. As the second largest county in
the state, Mississippi County is served
by two county seats, which are located
in Blytheville and Osceola. While the
overall county population density is 59
persons per square mile, much of the area
of the county is sparsely settled bottom
lands or expansive agricultural holding.
The county is divided into
three regions that have important historical
and economic differences. The north end
of the county surrounding Blytheville,
although rooted in the same agricultural
tradition as the south end of the county,
has long enjoyed a more diversified economy.
The first basis of this diversity was
Eaker Air Base, a major Air Force installation
for all of the post-War period until its
decommissioning in 1989.
The Mississippi County
Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission,
Inc. (MCAEOC) is the lead agency for the
Mississippi County Enterprise Community.
MCAEOC is a nonprofit organization that
was organized in 1965 and which has broad-based
community representation from all sectors
of the local population. Sixty percent
of the county and 80 percent of the population
served by MCAEOC administer more than
40 programs that serve the targeted community.
As the grantee for Head
Start, Early Head Start, and Arkansas
Better Chance, MCAEOC has successfully
served pregnant women and children six
weeks to five years old in the Early Childhood
Department. It should be noted that MCAEOC
Head Start also serves as a delegate for
the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Program.
MCAEOC serves seven school
districts in Mississippi County, Arkansas.
The Early Childhood Education Department
has written transition agreements with
each school district. The 21C Grant money
will be used to strengthen our Family
and Community Partnerships as we assist
our parents and children in their transition
from Head Start/Early Head Start to kindergarten.
We are planning a summer enrichment camp
during the summer of 2004 for our five-year-old
children that need extra tutoring before
they enter kindergarten. We will use our
needs assessment as a tool for expanding
our existing family support services.
The major goal of Head
Start/Early Head Start is to develop the
physical, emotional, social, and cognitive
skills that children will need for the
rest of their lives. Head Start/Early
Head Start Centers assess standards of
learning in early literacy, language,
and numeracy skills. The Head Start/Early
Head Start Child Outcomes Frameworks monitor
learning outcomes for children leaving
Head Start/Early Head Start programs for
kindergarten.
The Mission Statement of
MCAEOC states that we are dedicated to
providing quality comprehensive services
in a caring environment, which meets the
needs of children, staff, families, and
the community. The agency engages in collaborative
partnerships with parents, school districts,
early childhood agencies, and other human
service agencies. These resources are
used to ensure a comprehensive, integrated
array of services and support to families
in fostering their child’s development,
meeting personal goals, and achieving
self-sufficiency.
The 21C Grant will enhance
our efforts in implementing multifaceted
projects that involve community partners
and parents. This grant will enhance our
efforts for improvement. We have signed
partnership agreements with public schools,
libraries, childcare agencies, and various
organizations.
MCAEOC operates 17 Head Start centers.
Head Start has 39 teachers and Early Head
Start has 32 teachers. We also have 30
teacher assistants in Head Start. We have
two centers located at Northeastern Arkansas
Community College and we are partners
with our local Focus program. We are adding
aftercare in three of our centers. This
will benefit the parents that need this
service. This is another attempt to expand
our resources and help our families through
high quality child care that provides
services for the entire family.
Head Start uses the High
Reach Curriculum, Cuddle Bugs, Creative
Curriculum, and Core Knowledge. With the
use of these curriculums and other teaching
strategies, our children are provided
excellent opportunities to meet their
goals as stated in the Performance Standards.
Contact:
Linda Frost, 21C Coordinator
bitdst@yahoo.com
2513 Atlanta Street, P.O. Box 1289
Blytheville, AR 72315
Phone (870) 532-2348 x23
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