On January 10, Mississippi Action for Progress, Inc. hosted its recruitment training kick-off with Winston, Neshoba and Scott Counties participating.
The training was geared toward recruiting students for the new year for Head Start and Early Head Start. Conducting the training was Dr. Peggy Johnson. Johnson serves as the Director of Enrollment, Recruitment, Eligibility and Attendance.
MAP Regional Managers in attendance were Irene Smith of Winston and Neshoba counties and Geneva Burton of Lauderdale and Scott Counties.
Mississippi Action for Progress, Inc. is committed both by corporate charter and the Governing Bodies to recruit and enroll all eligible children residing within the targeted service delivery area. The Recruitment and Selection Plan objective is to ensure that all interested eligible families are given an opportunity to be considered for enrollment in the Head Start program as required by the Head Start Act. Also, the plan takes into consideration the number of preschool age children in each county, which allows MAP to serve as many eligible children as possible. The plan provides a systematic process for the recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance of all eligible children within the service area.
The provisions of this Recruitment and Selection Plan is implemented in such a manner that there is no disruption of services to currently enrolled children, giving priority to enrolling children age four and children with disabilities; filling vacancies within thirty days and assuring continuity of services by allowing Head Start children to remain in the Head Start Program until kindergarten is available to them. The selection criterion is based on age, income, disability, parental status, and others factors determined by Central Office. The Recruitment and Selection Plan provides organization, focus, and uniformity among the Head Start centers and Early Head Start sites, which provides opportunities for the greatest number of children to be considered for Head Start services. The plan also provides for blended services through partnership agreement with public school and private day care centers. A recruitment tracking initiative was used during the recruitment drive for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. The recruitment tracking initiative located each potential family for Head Start on a city or county map. The Director of Research and Development, Regional Managers, Center Administrators, Regional Generalists and the Enrollment Coordinator used county maps to monitor where recruitment efforts were to take place. This process helps to ensure that the entire county is canvassed.
MAP was founded in September 1966. MAP represents a cross-section of Mississippians working for and with disadvantaged children and their families to ensure a brighter tomorrow for the state and nation. MAP believes that every child deserves a head start in life -- an equal opportunity to develop character, talent, mind, body and personality.
