Early Head Start program serves 336 but waiting list remains in the hundreds, district told
Summary
Angie Moon told the Clarke County board that Early Head Start/Head Start currently serves roughly 336 children and expectant mothers, maintains a waiting list in the hundreds, and cannot expand without additional funding or space; the board asked for options and noted constraints.
Angie Moon, presenting required annual governance training for the district—s Early Head Start and Head Start grant programs, told the Clarke County School Board that the program currently has funded slots for about 336 children and expectant women but consistently maintains a waiting list in the hundreds.
Moon outlined program options (center-based, home-based and services to pregnant women), the program—s eligibility verification and two-layer audit process, and trauma-informed practices intended to ensure families are not deterred from applying. She said the program began with a small grant around 2000 and has grown while continuing to face capacity limits due to funding and physical space constraints.
When board members asked what it would take to clear the waiting list, Moon said the district would need additional federal or state expansion funding or substantial local investment; she also said the district currently lacks available facilities to expand. Board member Linda Davis asked about outcome tracking; Moon said district assessment data show growth across three checkpoints from fall to spring and recommended the board consult the program—s "annual report to the public" on the district website for deeper trend data.
The board placed the Early Head Start governance plan on the consent agenda for approval and asked staff to continue reporting waiting-list trends and options for capacity expansion.
