A life-altering event brought Cassandra Miller Sanders to the Early Head StartAckerman. She understands firsthand the benefits and takes pride in assisting the children enrolled in the program for which she’s worked for the past 14 years. Sanders is an LPN graduate of Northwest Mississippi Community College. While working as a clerk at the Neshoba County Health Department, her second son, Landon, was born prematurely at 27 weeks, weighing two pounds. He spent two months in a neonatal unit, and during that time, Sanders altered her career path. “I needed to be with my tiny baby, and I learned Landon could be a part of intervention at Early Head Start,” she said. “A wonderful opportunity materialized for me to become a caseworker in Ackerman, have him in the program when ready, and help other children, too.” The experience has made Sanders a strong advocate for Early Head Start and Head Start. “I’ve witnessed the nurturing environment personally with Landon, who turns a healthy 13 in July,” she said. Known as Mississippi Action for Progress (MAP), Head Start and Early Head Start are federally funded programs that serve 33 counties in Mississippi and one county in Alabama. The programs are designed to prepare primarily pre-school children for kindergarten and to encourage the healthy development of disadvantaged children, building a foundation for their future success. In Choctaw County, there is an Early Head Start in Ackerman, a licensed day care program offering care and educational experiences to 24 currently enrolled children, ranging from two months to two years in age. Additionally, Weir has a Head Start program for 3-4 year-olds with a self-contained Early Head Start with one class of 1-2 year-olds. The programs typically run 11 months of the year. At Early Head StartAckerman, Sanders is among 10 dedicated staff members. Led by a center manager, she works daily with six teachers, a cook, and a custodian. “I’m like a Mama Bear every day! When children are here, they are my children,” Sanders said. “I love them and care for them as if they are my own.” There is no fee for the Early Head Start program. “Diapers, wipes, formula, and daily school meals and snacks, the program provides it all, but persons must apply for eligibility each year to be considered,” Sanders said. Once accepted in the Early Head Start Program, a child automatically has a slot from infancy until age 2. At 3 years-old, they can apply for Head Start at that time. At the center, Sanders begins her day with health checks. “We treat the whole child here because if children are not healthy, they can’t learn,” she said. As a caseworker, Sanders teaches parents to physically care for the child, like knowing when to take the child to the doctor and the dentist, and she works toward goals, such as employment or education, with the family. A Weir native, Sanders lives in Louisville with her husband, Winford Sanders, who works for Taylor Machine Works, Inc. The family has a farm with horses and other animals. Along with Landon, who attends Nanih Waiya Attendance Center, they have an older son, Austin, 22, who manages another farm. The extended family includes Sanders’ twin sister, Lassandra Turner, who worked for a time for the Choctaw County School District and now assists with special education at Louisville Elementary School. Sanders is thankful for her job every day. “If you do what you love, you won’t work a day in your life. And the smiles and laughs of the children are my reward for a job well done, and they are all I need,” she said. Sanders feels she chose the very best career for herself and her family. “I want to be here for the children as long as I can,” Sanders said. “There are a lot of success stories just like with my son Landon that begin right here.”
