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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Labor Department to shutter Job Corps centers, including two in Georgia
Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer stands behind President Donald Trump after he signs executive orders in the Oval Office on April 23, 2025. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon look on. (Photo by) Job Corps centers in Albany and Brunswick are set to shut their doors by June 30 after the U.S. Department of Labor announced plans to suspend operations at nearly 100 locations nationwide. The Job Corps program dates back to 1964 and was created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's 'War on Poverty.' The program, which claims to be 'the largest nationwide residential career training program in the country,' works by providing low-income students ages 16 to 24 with housing, education, career training and employment assistance, primarily in industries like manufacturing, construction and health care. However, the program encountered serious hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic, and currently faces a $140 million budget deficit that Department of Labor officials estimate could grow to $213 million by next year. The federal agency cited a report from April highlighting metrics like the average annual cost per student, average total costs per graduate and total violent crime rates. 'Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,' U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement. 'However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.' In total, 99 centers that are run by contract agencies will be forced to close should the plan take effect. An additional 24 centers owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will not be affected by the closures. Atlanta is home to the program's Region 3 office, overseeing centers across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Department of Labor said it plans to arrange transportation back home for roughly 25,000 currently enrolled students, and to connect them with other educational and employment resources. It is unclear how many students across Georgia will be affected. Calls to the Atlanta-based Jobs Corps office were not answered and emails sent to two top officials received a bounce back message. Lawmakers in Congress were quick to push back against the sudden closures, citing a long history of bipartisan support for the program. 'The Job Corps program is the embodiment of a hand up and not a handout,' said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, an Albany Democrat who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Job Corps Caucus. 'It provides workforce skills and training that empower participants to become self-sufficient and productive citizens. Today's foolish action by the White House and the United States Department of Labor to close the Job Corps program will shatter the dreams and aspirations of tens of thousands of promising students.' Critics of the closures, including the National Job Corps Association, have also argued that the data used to compile the report is misleading, since it focuses solely on metrics from 2023, a year when the program was still struggling to recover from pandemic-era hurdles that lowered enrollment and graduation numbers. Notably, this is not the first time President Donald Trump's administration has targeted the Job Corps program for closures. Sonny Purdue, the former Georgia governor who later served as Agriculture Secretary in the first Trump Administration and is now the chancellor of the Georgia Board of Regents, also attempted to shutter nine Job Corps centers and transfer an additional 16 centers to private contractors back in 2019. However, he quickly dropped the bid after encountering fierce congressional pushback — including from then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Head Start of Covington celebrate 60 years
COVINGTON, Ind. — The Head Start of Fountain and Warren, in Covington, Indiana, has been helping prepare kids and their families for school for the past 60 years. To celebrate the anniversary, and Field Day, the program hosted a 'Down on the Farm' themed event Friday, May 16, in Covington City Park. For Dawn Tritten, director of the Head Start program in Covington, the Field Day is a rare opportunity for her to get out of the office and see all the kids playing together. 'We have seven centers. Their parents get together and plan what they want to see, and they did an amazing job,' Tritten said. 'I don't get out very much. So for me, it is amazing to see everyone together.' There were several different play stations set up around a pavilion in the park, including an animal station with chickens and a corgi, as well as a Touch the Truck section, with a semi truck, firetruck, ambulance, and more. 'Sometimes we have these gentlemen with their vehicles come and read to us, and it's also an opportunity for us to bring it to them if they can't get out to see it themselves, so we have great community partners,' Payton said. Jerry Mortimore, a truck driver, is one such reader. He brought his semi to the event so his son Zander Anderson, a Head Start student, could play in it and show his friends how fun it is to climb up into the cab and sit behind the wheel. 'He's been driving a truck forever, and they are obsessed with it,' said Mortimore's wife. 'Zander came up to him and said, 'Can you take it to my field day?' So, we're letting him bring it.' After the fun celebration, Trittel and JJ Payton — Head Start Center Manager — gave out awards to several parent volunteers before presenting certifications of completion to those kids who were in attendance. Among them was Hunter Marlatt, whose mother Keana Hiner said her son has grown so much in the program. 'He has been playing with kids a lot better and counting better, and he's better with his shapes and his colors,' she said, adding that he is just much easier to bring around other people now. Those interested in enrolling in Covington's Head Start program can reach out to the director at 765-793-0473. The office is open year-round. Head Start is a federally-funded program that provides free, comprehensive early learning, health, nutrition, and family support services to children ages 3-5 from low-income families, according to the First Five Years Fund. It was established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon P. Johnson's 'War on Poverty.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Head Start families mark 60 years of program during Willmar, Minnesota, gathering
May 15---- When United Community Action Partnership recently gathered its Willmar Head Start students and families for a springtime event at Robbins Island, they also celebrated the childhood education program's 60th birthday coming up on May 18. "We do a lot of things (in Head Start). Our cornerstones are really in family engagement, health and nutrition that we provide. ... we care for children so that families can work. Close to 80% of our families are working families, and without us they wouldn't be able to do that," United Community Action Partnership Head Start director Mary Lockhart-Findling told the West Central Tribune during the family event. The describes the program as "centered around early learning and development, health and family well-being." Services are available at no cost for infants and children up to 5 years old in eligible families. Locally, United Community Action Partnership operates in locations across nine southwest Minnesota counties — including Kandiyohi, Meeker, Redwood and Renville — serving around 600 children in total. UCAP's largest program is Bright Light Head Start in Willmar. The Bright Light Head Start family event at Robbins Island featured activities including a scavenger hunt, a snack and a chance to learn about water safety from Kandiyohi County sheriff's officers. "This is a time for all families to come together with their children so they can meet with each other, play with each other and get to know each other," United Community Action Partnership family service worker Pat Olson said. The 60-year anniversary has coincided with concerns about the future of the program after reports in April that the White House was considering asking Congress to eliminate funding. At the Willmar event conducted April 30, Lockhart-Findling called for people to contact their elected representatives regarding the proposal. The official released since then does not mention the Head Start program. Nevertheless, the for program supporters to contact the president and members of Congress, calling the elimination of funding "catastrophic." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Head Start began as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty." The program was announced in the Rose Garden on May 18, 1965. Originally, the program was an eight-week project. Since its founding, the program has served more than 38 million children, having grown from the original eight-week demonstration program to one which operates year-round. According to Lockhart-Findling, local Head Start offerings include dental clinics, help with obtaining physicals and immunizations, kindergarten prep and health and nutrition education. Alongside the services offered for children, early childhood programs for parents are provided to help educate family members. "We do a lot of training with our parents that want to and are interested in early childhood (care). We have a (Child Development Associate) program that helps them get qualified to do that," Lockhart-Findling said. "Our goal is to help the kids, and at the same time, work with families to help them get out of poverty."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Head Start Celebrates 60 Years
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Families gathered at Day Head Start on Monday to celebrate 60 years of the national Head Start program with cupcakes, arts and crafts and plenty of smiles. Since its creation in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his War on Poverty, Head Start has served more than 40 million children and their families across the United States. The federally funded program has been a part of the San Angelo community for decades and provides early childhood education, health services and family support to low-income families. 'Happy birthday to Head Start — it's 60 years nationwide,' said Carolina Raymond, director of Head Start in San Angelo. 'So, we are a federally funded program. President Lyndon B. Johnson started this in 1965.' The local program currently serves more than 400 children across the Concho Valley and is more than just a childcare service. Head Start offers comprehensive early learning opportunities to prepare children for kindergarten, while also supporting parents with family development services. 'A lot of people think we're a daycare — and we're not set up like a daycare at all, we have a curriculum, and our main goal here is to ensure our children are kindergarten-ready, that our parents are their first teacher, and we're really investing in the whole family,' Raymond said. Head Start serves children ages 0 to 5, with services that include early education, health screenings, nutritious meals, and family engagement initiatives. Each family is assigned a family service worker who helps parents set and achieve personal goals, such as obtaining a GED, finding employment, or accessing community resources. 'Every parent has a family service worker, and they do comprehensive goals with the parents,' Raymond said. 'If a parent is looking to achieve getting their GED, or looking for a job, or any sort of resources, we're trying to help those parents better themselves to better their family.' The program also includes Early Head Start, which supports pregnant women and children from birth to 36 months. Enrollment for Early Head Start begins the first week of June. 'It's a program that works, and it is just an amazing place to be,' Raymond said. 'We're such a tight-knit family, and we want you guys to be a part of it.' For more information or to enroll, families can contact Day Head Start or visit the program's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Springfield Partners for Community Action still serves as the connection place in city
SPRINGFIELD — D.J. Jones, an administrative assistant at Springfield Partners for Community Action, smiled broadly, excitingly relaying how she'd just gotten a new commitment for more donated diapers. She runs the diaper program at Springfield Partners, supplying about 100 families, accounting for 166 individual children each month. 'Diapers are expensive,' said Mickey E. Harris, the executive director of Springfield Partners for the past few months. Springfield Partners is an $8 million to $10 million a year operation, offering home weatherization, tax preparation, financial literacy education, first-time homebuyer classes, veterans programs, SNAP counseling and apartment rental assistance, and is a general one-stop shop for people in poverty looking for resources. 'People come to us when they are in need and frequently frustrated,' Harris said. 'We give them something to help.' These are frustrations that might mount and resources that might become more scarce, given growing needs and uncertainty about the federal antipoverty programs that Springfield Partners manages. 'There are differences in terms of resources and changes in ideology,' said Harris, an attorney before taking over at Springfield Partners. It's also a time for celebrating the career of former Executive Director Paul F. Bailey, who retired Jan. 31 and will be honored at an event on Saturday at the Sheraton in Springfield. The cause for celebration comes at a time of uncertainty, however. J.C. Schnabl, Springfield Partners for Community Action deputy director, said the agency already has lost out on $100,000 in federal money that normally passes down through the state. 'For staffing,' Schnabl said. 'And we are already shorthanded.' Springfield Partners celebrated 60 years in 2024. It was born through the efforts of President Lyndon Johnson and his slate of War on Poverty programs, also known as the Great Society. Those programs called for community action agencies to put those programs into effect in neighborhoods across the country. Springfield Partners was the first community action site to open in Western Massachusetts in 1964, Harris said. And it still serves as a major connection point for people in need. 'Our model is to do everything we can do to fight poverty any way we can,' Harris said. More than 700 households took advantage last year of weatherization and household improvements, said Craig Tomlinson, director of that program. That involves assessing and making improvements. There are programs that provide air conditioners and dehumidifiers, as well. It's funded by the state and federal governments, as well by utilities through their efficiency programs. Taxpayers — 1,123 of them to be exact — came to Springfield Partners for Community Action this spring for help filing their taxes, said Terryl Wilson, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program coordinator. All told, that's probably $1.5 million or more in refunds, she said, as she finished reporting the results for the VITA effort in 2025. 'Tax preparation is very expensive,' Harris said. 'And a lot of people don't know how to do taxes.' Programs like tax preparation also give Springfield Partners a chance to offer other resources. Workers search out people who are eligible but not signed up. Springfield Partners closed its child care center last year and now leases the space to Playful Minds Learning Center. Harris said Springfield Partners continues to evolve. 'How do we encourage people, young people especially, that what they can accomplish is limitless? If you can dream it, you can do it,' he said. And that's going to take collaboration. Not everything has to be Springfield Partners for Community Action's idea or its own program. 'We can jump in,' he said. A Food Truck Festival put on in October by the Indian Orchard Citizens Council is a great example. By participating, Springfield Partners got a chance to reach out to the community and let people know about SNAP, about homebuyer classes, rental advancements and other services. 'We are trying to flow with the need,' Bailey said. 'There is more need and not as much funding to support those needs.' Over 24 years, there was one key lesson, Bailey said. 'Not to judge,' he said. It's tempting to see someone in need, someone in poverty, and see it as a result of a personal choice or failure. 'That is rarely the case,' he said. Western New England University president Robert Johnson stepping down Holyoke Landing, location of Popeyes and Starbucks, sold Howdy Awards honor 10 for hospitality excellence in Springfield area Read the original article on MassLive. Read the original article on MassLive. Read the original article on MassLive. Read the original article on MassLive. Read the original article on MassLive.
