Norwalk Head Start remains closed; no alternative available Wednesday

NORWALK, Conn. —Families dependent on Norwalk Head Start or Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now (NEON) alternative day care will be without help again today as NEON and the interim provider assigned by the federal Administration for Children and Families to run Head Start continue to negotiate transferring the program.

NEON’s contract to run Head Start was suspended for at least 30 days on Oct. 24, and Colorado-based Community Development Institute (CDI) was appointed to administer the program. Twenty days later, Head Start has not resumed.

An email to Board of Directors Chairman Michael Berkoff requesting information on the holdup and a time frame for the program to reopen was not returned Tuesday night.

According to a press release from NEON’s latest interim CEO, the Rev. Tommie Jackson, the two agencies met again Tuesday “to further discuss details of transferring supervision of the Norwalk Head Start program. All parties are committed to re-opening the program as quickly as possible while adhering to federal, state and local regulations and requirements.”

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience that hundreds of families have experienced with the closure of these programs, but rejoice that CDI is willing and ready to step in as soon as negotiations are complete on fulfilling all contractual and legal obligations,” Jackson was quoted as saying in the release.

All child development programs at Norwalk’s Nathaniel Ely School and the Ben Franklin Center will be closed today, Nov. 13.

No other information was available.