Editor, Times-Union: The recently published results of a May 2009 - October 2010 Department of Health and Human Services audit of 24 Head Start grantees running 175 facilities in eight states called attention to the need for the highest level of safety for the over one million children and families Head Start and Early Start serves every year.
As the director of Kosciusko County Head Start/Early Head Start, a division of Cardinal Services Inc., I can attest to our absolute commitment to offering the safest, highest-quality program for the 175 Kosciusko County children we serve every year. Given the seriousness with which we take health and safety regulations – as do the more than 1,600 Head Start grantees nationwide – I was not surprised to learn 21 of the 24 grantees acted swiftly to immediately correct any deficiencies. I also was not surprised the remaining three grantees lost funding.
Kosciusko County Head Start/Early Head Start’s mission is to guarantee our program meets or exceeds rigorous safety standards and delivers the most efficient and effective services during the critical window of opportunity from birth through age five. Our centers in Warsaw, Mentone and North Webster are nationally accredited, state licensed, and on Level 4, the highest level, on Indiana’s Paths to Quality. When children walk through our doors, they are entering a safe learning environment designed to give them a range of educational, health, and family support services that will place them on a pathway to success.
Lynne Dittman Head Start/Early Head Start Director Cardinal Services Inc. Warsaw, via e-mail
