Save the Children Head Start to expand services in La.

VILLE PLATTE – Save the Children Head Start, which has operated Head Start and Early Head Start programs since 2011 in rural communities across America, has further expanded operations in Louisiana and will now serve children and families in Evangeline Parish. The nonprofit will be providing Head Start programming and a new Early Head Start option to 156 children and their families in the Parish.
“Save the Children Head Start is proud and honored to provide high-quality early childhood education and family support services to children and families across Evangeline Parish. We are excited to ensure the youngest members of these communities get the early learning opportunities they need to be successful in school and life,” said Johnnie Belle Chavis, Save the Children Head Start’s Jefferson Davis and Evangeline Parish Program Director.
The programming will support 156 children in Evangeline Parish, including 136 children ages 3 to 5 in Head Start, and – for the first time – 20 infants, toddlers, and pregnant mothers in Early Head Start (children from birth to age 3). Services will begin this fall with enrollment commitments to returning children and children with special needs, children in foster care and to families experiencing homelessness.
The new Early Head Start option will make a menu of comprehensive services available to eligible families, including research-based instruction, prenatal support for expectant mothers, and health, nutrition, and parent engagement services for children and families.
“Early Head Start and Head Start make a tremendous difference in the lives of children and families who are in greatest need – we see it every day,” said Arvelis Byrd, Save the Children Head Start’s Executive Director. “Save the Children Head Start is grateful for the opportunity to build on the rich legacy of Evangeline Community Action Agency to ensure that there is continuity of high quality services for children and families. As the new agency to administer Head Start services in Evangeline Parish, we are excited to introduce Early Head Start to the community, which includes services for infants, toddlers, and pregnant mothers for the first time. We encourage parents to apply to enroll their young children in these impactful early learning programs.”
Head Start and Early Head Start are federally-funded programs that offer comprehensive services to families living in poverty with children ages birth to 5, including early education, health and social-emotional support, and family engagement. Currently, Save the Children Head Start operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs in rural communities in four states – Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina and North Dakota – serving more than 1,100 children and their families. In Louisiana specifically, Save the Children Head Start operates in Jefferson Davis, Red River, De Soto, and Natchitoches Parishes.
In addition to providing Head Start and Early Head Start services in Louisiana, Save the Children has worked to protect the state’s children during emergencies since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. Most recently, the nonprofit has supported the most immediate and long-term needs of children and families in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura and Delta last year, including helping restore 30 child care programs devastated by the storm.
Parents interested in enrolling their children in Save the Children Head Start’s Head Start or Early Head Start programs in Evangeline Parish can contact Terry Fontenot at 318-446-7196 or by email at tfontenot@savechildren.org.
For more about Save the Children Head Start’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs, visit www.SavetheChildren.org/HeadStart.
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding over 100 years ago, we’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.