Migrant Head Start serves Bladen farmworkers

WHITEVILLE — The Whiteville Educational Campus of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project hosted an open house on Tuesday afternoon to allow community members to observe the facility and learn more about the services provided to the many communities it serves.

Despite its physical location in Columbus County, the Whiteville Educational Campus also serves families in Bladen County, and in some southern parts of Virginia with buses picking up the students each day.

According to the Head Start website, their programs “support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services that support early learning and development, health, and family well-being.”

Head Start services are free to those who meet the eligibility requirements.

As stated on the Head Start website, “eligible participants include children whose families meet the federal low-income guidelines or who participate in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program public assistance services.” Children experiencing homelessness or who are in the foster care system are also eligible. Programs such as the one at the Whiteville Educational Campus also accept a limited number of children who do not meet any of the aforementioned eligibility criteria.

Migrant Head Start programs, such as the one serving our area, are specifically to serve farmworkers, a necessity given the importance of agriculture in the Bladen community.

During the open house at the Whiteville Educational Campus, guests were given a tour of the facility and were invited to partake in some snacks prepared by the campus’ two cooks.

Food, as it turns out, is a big part of the operations at the Whiteville campus. Every item served to the children is made by hand, meaning if the students are served chicken nuggets, the nuggets were cut from chicken breasts and were floured and baked.

Students are not served large amounts of sweets or candy, and the two incredible cooks incorporate a variety of cultural cuisine.

Many of the teachers at the Whiteville campus speak both Spanish and English, which helps students who don’t speak English as their primary language at home feel comfortable and learn more.

Some of the ways in which Head Start programs nurture health and wellness are:

-Engaging all children in both indoor and outdoor physical activity

-Serving breakfast, lunch, and snacks that are healthy and nutritious

-Ensuring children receive medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screening

-Making sure children brush their teeth after meals and promoting oral health and hygiene

-Assisting with mental health services for children and families, as needed

-Building resilience to help children and families heal from traumatic experiences or events and overwhelming situations

Some of the ways in which Head Start programs nurture family well-being are:

-Providing parenting support and strategies

-Connecting families to community and federal assistance

-Assisting families in identifying and reaching their goals and dreams, including those related to finances and economic mobility, housing, employment, and education

-Providing a career pathway in early care and education — about 25% of program staff are former Head Start parents!

Some of the ways in which Head Start programs help nurture family engagement are:

-Inviting parents to share information and insights about their child

-Celebrating the role of fathers and male caregivers through father engagement

-Engaging parents as their child’s lifelong advocate

-Welcoming parents to offer ways to improve children’s and families’ experiences in the program, including through leadership roles on the Policy Council

-Supporting child and family transitions when the child is ready for the next step, to Head Start, kindergarten, or another early childhood program

For more information about the Whiteville Educational Campus of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, call (910)642-2902.