The Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency has expanded its Head Start services from Oneida and Herkimer counties into Madison County. The additional services will assist Head Start locations in three counties to provide services that promote learning in pre-school aged children.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer the valuable Head Start experience to families in Madison County,” MVCAA Executive Director Amy Turner said.

Head Start provides help in the areas of early learning, health and family well-being, Turner said.

Children in Head Start are prepared for school through programs that develop social skills, language and literacy leaning and concept development, Turner added. Health is promoted through developmental screenings that gauge oral health and mental health along with providing healthy meals, and Head Start supports family well-being through housing stability programs and services that strengthen child-parent relationships

MVCA will host three sites for Head Start. They will be located at Morrisville Elementary School, on Canal Street in Canastota and in the Gorman Foundation building in Oneida.

“Cornell Cooperative Extension decided they would no longer run Head Start and they opened a competitive bidding process, which we won,” Turner said.

MVCAA had enrolled 766 children in Head Start last year, and the expansion into Madison County will bring an additional 119 children into the program.

“Anyone interested in applying may call us or visit our website,” Turner said.

MVCAA may be contacted at 624-9930 or at www.mvcaaa.com.