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Neon To Keep Its Norwalk Preschool Programs Open Through Friday

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now Inc. will keep its preschool programs open through at least the end of the week, administrators said Monday.

NEON's administration of Norwalk's Head Start program was suspended by the federal government last week.

NEON's administration of Norwalk's Head Start program was suspended by the federal government last week.

Photo Credit: File

The federal Office of Head Start suspended NEON’s management of the city’s Head Start program last week after a review of the program’s ongoing financial troubles. The federally managed Community Development Institute Head Start will take over the program in the near future, but as of Monday it had not announced a formal plan.

NEON opened its Ben Franklin Center and Nathaniel Ely School programs Friday and Monday as daycare programs that are not officially “Head Start.” After day-to-day decisions to keep the program open its past two sessions, NEON announced Monday that it will operate on its normal schedule through at least Friday.

The agency says it will continue its “due diligence to find a solution for the transition of Norwalk’s Head Start program.” NEON’s plans might include seeking private sponsors to keep the program running, NEON board Chairman Mike Berkoff said in a statement Monday.

“NEON’s focus at this time are Norwalk’s children and families that we serve,” Berkoff said Monday. “We feel they should not have to pay for the poor planning on the part of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the City of Norwalk.”

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