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NORWALK, Conn. – Dozens of parents whose children are enrolled in Norwalk’s Head Start program called on city officials Thursday to spend $1.3 million to help keep the child care effort operating, as well as several other anti-poverty programs.
The money was requested by Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now (NEON), which oversees the federal Head Start program locally, but city officials are recommending the agency only receive $90,000, an amount that could devastate the child care program.
“For the city to only recommend $90,000 out of a request of $1.3 million is like a slap in the face,” said Shawn Gelin, a Head Start parent whose twin 3-year-olds attend the program. “The City of Norwalk should be embarrassed.”
The bulk of NEON’s Head Start funding – 80 percent – comes from the federal government, but the city has traditionally given the agency the remaining 20 percent as a matching allocation, according to Patricia Wilson-Pheanious, NEON’s interim president and CEO.
The $1.3 million request would cover that matching allocation, administrative and other program expenses. If the city does not give the agency the matching funds, the federal government could pull its allocation, which would end the program, Wilson-Pheanious said.
“The summer camps we run cost about $180,000 alone, so $90,000 would only cover about half of that one program,” said Wilson-Pheanious during a community meeting called by NEON to alert parents of what the agency is facing. About 75 parents were in attendance.
Last year, the city withheld a similar funding request by NEON following the discovery that more than $400,000 had been misappropriated by the agency. The revelation led to the ouster of former NEON head and Common Council member Joseph Mann.
“The city withheld the money initially because they didn’t feel NEON was managing the effectively,” Wilson-Pheanious said. “Or, maybe because they think you don’t count.”
NEON Chief Operating Officer Chiquita Stephenson and other officials urged parents to call or write to city leaders to get them to reconsider the $90,000 recommendation and give the agency the full $1.3 million.
“Without NEON where would we be?” asked Ernestine McLean, whose grandson attend Head Start. “We all need to come together to help our school.”
Comments (22)
Who is HHS and where can we see authoritative reports on the value of Head Start ? Everything I ever saw makes it sound like head statrt makes a big difference,
Some of us wonder how much of the opposition to head start is based on valid reasons rather than a basic objection to helping out children who look different.
oldtimer,
it has nothing to do with the children who look different, as that is your inference, as it has to do with parents who don't do anything for their children and/or sponge off the government.
Perhaps nationally Head Start makes a difference. Not here. Their children DO NOT emerge prepared for kindergarten, academically, socially, or emotionally.
Common abrev. for Health and Human Services.
I always have thought Head Start makes a difference also. For small fish in a small pond. The playing field changes when small fish have to mainstream into a broader world of academia. If nothing else they would be worse off without head start. Like most all children there comes a time when parents can no longer help with homework and I have the feeling it comes very early for the once small fish. So in essence it is a failure because follow-through isn't able or sometime not even there.
Who is HHS that is quoted by SJUR.SOLENG as having done a study and a report that essentially shows head start is worthless ? Everything I ever saw seems to show head start makes a big difference. It is interesting that Sjur did not respond to a request for a link to the report he is quoting.
If there is no real benefit, that changes this discussion considerably, but we need to see real, authoritative, evaluations of the program. There are, unfortunately, a lot of people who oppose spending any money to benefit people who look different.
First off. Your race bating is disgusting and deplorable and leads me to believe you are very close minded. Using a sentence that reads, "....a lot of people who oppose spending any money to benefit people who look different," is a sad attempt to pull at the coat strings of a failed arguement.
Here is the study. Please read it all or skip to pg 103 for the summary where I pulled the statement .http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/head_start_report.pdf
I don't see what race(people who look different) has to do with this. People all over Norwalk are struggling with the weight of earned income vs daycare costs. People are tired of breaking their backs so others don't have to. Now, I agree there are many that WANT to, but can't, and they should be helped. But there are many who simply drop the kids there and go back home to do nothing. People are leaving Norwalk and more importantly, it is the people who are seeing success and retirement that are leaving Norwalk. The costs off living here are starting to far outway the benefits. Almost all the arguements for Head Start(at least locally) sound a lot like a fight for free daycare, not a real 'head start' at education equality.
Race baiting ? That is a familiar charge anytime the subject is helping the poor in a community. I read the report you referenced, and a few others.
The consensus seems to be, the long term benefits far outweigh the cost of the head start and early head start programs. You might be interested in reading a more comprehensive study. I went to google for "head start effectiveness" and there is a lot of data to read.
http://depts.washington.edu/isei/iyc/barnett_hustedt18_1.pdf
I was happy to run into three members of NEON leadership, including Pat Wilson Pheanious, at the Hartford Capitol yesterday. I was there testifying before the School Security Subcommittee. As I was walking Pat to the door, the WTNH reporters told me I'd appear on their 11 o'clock broadcast. I mentioned several Norwalk issues to them, including the battle between Mayor Moccia and NEON leadership as NEON transitions to a new, regional board. They were very interested in having their colleague who covers Fairfield County look into this issue, among others in Norwalk. I then proceeded to Rep. Chris Perone's office. Chris is now the Chair of the Commerce Committee. He and I discussed this issue at length. I am gathering more information on this; I appreciate help hearing from affected residents.
Councilwoman Anna Duleep (At-Large)
What I find puzzling about all this is that it has been alluded to publicly that there were irregularities beyond the $400,000 in misappropriated funds, and that's the real reason Joe Mann had to leave NEON. The $400,000 by itself was not the issue, if I remember correctly, the issue was expense account abuse as well as some inappropriate arrangement where Mr. Mann's ex-wife was living in a NEON apartment for free with utilities paid by NEON. Yet the amount and scope of those improprieties has never been revealed. Also, the nature of reform that the City feels is needed has never been explained. Absent those details, it's hard to have any opinion on whether or not the City is justified in holding back funds. Perhaps NEON hasn't revealed the full scope of what happened due to some settlement agreement they had to make with Mr. Mann to terminate his employment, and the settlement agreement precludes NEON from publicizing the details.
There is also the question of whether or not this means there will be no Head Start in Norwalk, or whether another organization will take over the program. I think it's universally acknowledged that Head Start is a worthwhile program, it's not just daycare, there are benefits in terms of academic progress too.
The ongoing randomized study of Head Start was based on a nationally representative sample of 5,000 children who applied for the program in 2002. Approximately half of the subjects received Head Start services, while the other half did not. The students were then tested on their language, literacy, math and school performance skills. …the 2010 Head Start Impact Study report notes, “the benefits of access to Head Start at age four are largely absent by 1st grade for the program population as a whole.” Specifically, the language, literacy, math and school performance skills of the Head Start children all failed to improve. …Now, the HHS has finally published a follow-up to its 2010 study that follows the same children through the end of third grade. And again, the HHS has concluded that Head Start is ineffective, concluding that Heat Start resulted in “very few impacts … in any of the four domains of cognitive, social-emotional, health and parenting practices.” And those impacts that were found “did not show a clear pattern of favorable or unfavorable impacts for children.”
Good research Sjur. Similar research about DARE programs...
Wow, I stand corrected. Do you have a link to the report?
I would still like to know why neither NEON nor the City has detailed the irregularities connected to Joe Mann.
All the points being made in this article come down to one thing. Head Start is a 'Daycare'. Plain and simple. You want subsidized daycare payed for by the taxpayer. If you have a full time job, fine, ask for help, but call it what it is. If you are not working and your children are at "head start daycare" there is a problem.
Does the Town of Stamford contribute money to NEON? If so how much? Did Norwalk ever find the 400,000.00 that was misappropriated by NEON? Where is Joe Mann today? Is this Rev. Mann's husband?
There must be a reason that Norwalk only wants to pony-up the roughly 14% it's offering. What was there before there ever was a NEON?
If people want their kids to attend " camp " daycare in Norwalk this summer, question NEON about why they are running a program in Waterbury,..use that money.
"Did Norwalk ever find the 400,000.00 that was misappropriated by NEON?"
Do you know what misappropriated means? It was never lost it was accounted for but spent for NEON building costs and not head start.
Did the city ever find the $4 million the Norwalk Public Schools lost? This money was never accounted for. Longo's words were "my best guess is"...A far stretch from knowing the money was spent on expenses related to running the NEON program.
Get it right.
"Did Norwalk ever find the 400,000.00 that was misappropriated by NEON?"
Do you know what misappropriated means? It was never lost it was accounted for but spent for NEON building costs and not head start.
Did the city ever find the $4 million the Norwalk Public Schools lost? This money was never accounted for. Longo's words were "my best guess is"...A far stretch from knowing the money was spent on expenses related to running the NEON program.
Get it right.
Actually, what Mr. Longo and others have said is that every penny was accounted for in terms of where it went. No money was sent to parties that shouldn't have received it. What they don't know is how it was that the internal accounting got messed up, i.e. how the BoE's internal account balance showed X amount when it should have shown Y amount, leading them to think that the account balance was significantly higher than it actually was. A big part of the reason they don't know is that there have been multiple personnel changes. I believe the resolution was that an audit would be performed of that account to understand how the internal accounting got messed up, and recommend changes for the future.
Same sentiments here but more astonishment at the low income mentality…
NEON Chief Operating Officer Chiquita Stephenson and other officials urged parents to call or write to city leaders to get them to reconsider the $90,000 recommendation and give the agency the full $1.3 million.
ATTENTION TAX PAYERS – Call or write city leaders to encourage them to hold their stance and NOT give 1.3 million dollars away to ONE “school” as opposed to ALL the schools...
“For the city of Norwalk to give you guys $90,000, they should be embarrassed of themselves,” said Shawn Gelin, a parent. “
Are you kidding me???!!!
Shawn should be embarrassed of HIMSELF, taking handouts from the government. TAKE A STAND - either you can afford to do something or you can't. My god, why should I or the rest of the city provide for your child - especially when most are supplemental programs .
“Without NEON where would we be?” asked Ernestine McLean, whose grandson attend Head Start.
How about standing on your own two feet ...
“We all need to come together to help our school.”
How about that 1.3 million going to ALL the schools in Norwalk – not just to “your” school. These are OUR tax dollars – the whole city – and that is a hell of a lot of tax dollars just for YOUR school that, somehow, I hardly believe “you” contribute a whole lot to, if any.
“The summer camps we run cost about $180,000 alone, so $90,000 would only cover about half of that one program,” said Wilson-Pheanious during a community meeting called by NEON to alert parents of what the agency is facing.
How about the parents PAYING for a program like the rest of us do - WE sacrifice..in fact, most of these kids get SO MUCH more than MY kids because we can't afford some of the extras or even basics BUT WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE FOR YOU????
MY kids didn’t go to camp last summer because, guess what, WE COULDN’T AFFORD IT so they worked around the house and their grandparents house doing chores like painting, gardening, cleaning, etc..
About 75 parents were in attendance.
How many parents are registered there that DIDN’T BOTHER to attend...
NEON Chief Operating Officer Chiquita Stephenson and other officials urged parents to call or write to city leaders to get them to reconsider the $90,000 recommendation and give the agency the full $1.3 million.
ATTENTION TAX PAYERS – Call or write city leaders to encourage them to hold their stance and NOT give 1.3 million dollars away to ONE “school” as opposed to ALL the schools...
Mr. Mayor - please look out for the taxpayers - Mann pocketed serious cash and we're asked to believe they are complying (even that aside - they lost crediability - let them go without and save US, the taxpayers).
"Same sentiments here but more astonishment at the low income mentality"
Whatever that means. Meanwhile a lot of Norwalk taxpayers are living off money the city is getting because of its low income community. Lets see how many people, including city employees eat off the $1 million+ community grant that's coming through.
The city is going take about half a mil off the top and then not send any down the communities it's meant for.
Congressman Himes needs to oversee this process because it's shady. Norwalk doesn't want to give us money out of it's budget then send that CDBG grant million straight to the low-income communities.
Jane D
Please share the details of what "money the city is getting because of its low income community".
start with Carvin J. Hilliard (203) 642-4260 this is what the city website provides for a phone number.
kicking this guy to the curb would be truly a start.
He has over the years has done mnay two faced acts after the election not protecting South Norwalk against City Carting has been his largest mistake.
He has shown absolute no leadership skills and has yet to act in the best interest of any South Norwalk taxpayers residents and homeless.
Let him tell everyone why he has to vote no on a article not even before the council yet on NEON.
Get rid of this old man his time to help Norwalk out has passed,it will take years to correct his mistakes by following the Mayor.
Complain to him is like watching a bad soap opera tells one woman who has been bitten by this guys bite.
Plan on replacing this guy soon he hasn't listened to anyone but himself.