2 days ago
Lutheran Services Florida steps aside from leading Head Start in Duval County amid federal rebid
Big changes are on the horizon for early childhood education in Duval County, as Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) will no longer lead the region's Head Start program.
The federal Office of Head Start has notified LSF that it plans to begin negotiations with a different provider for the role.
LSF has led the Duval County Head Start program for over a decade, serving between 1,000 and 1,400 children annually with early education, family support, and wraparound services.
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Despite this long-standing presence, LSF officials said the decision to transition program leadership is not due to performance concerns.
'This decision has nothing to do with performance,' said Maria McNair, director of the LSF Head Start program. 'It's part of a standard federal rebid process designed to ensure continued program quality.'
The rebid process, required periodically by the federal government, opens up leadership of Head Start programs to new applicants to ensure high standards are being met.
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While the name of the new provider has not yet been announced, the change is expected to impact the nearly 160 employees currently working under the LSF program. McNair says efforts are being made to help staff transition.
'We're trying to ensure that the majority of our employees transition over to the new organization,' she said.
Despite losing the lead role for Head Start in Duval, LSF isn't leaving the area. The organization will continue offering Early Head Start services for children under age three, supported by a newly renewed five-year grant.
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'We are still going to provide services here in Duval County for Early Head Start, which is for children who are under three. Our contract for the particular Grant was renewed for the next five years,' McNair confirmed.
The Office of Head Start has not yet provided additional details or a timeline for when the transition to the new provider will begin. Requests for comment have not yet been returned.
Action News Jax will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes
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