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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Getting a head start

Vermilion Early Head Start and Child Care Center now open

Jodi Summit
Posted 1/18/17

VERMILION RESERVATION - Feeding a room full of infants and toddlers can be complicated, but the new staff at the Vermilion Early Head Start and Child Care Center had everything under control. …

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Getting a head start

Vermilion Early Head Start and Child Care Center now open

Posted

VERMILION RESERVATION - Feeding a room full of infants and toddlers can be complicated, but the new staff at the Vermilion Early Head Start and Child Care Center had everything under control.

Toddlers sat at a kid-sized table, patiently waiting to be served a kid-sized portion of eggs, applesauce, and a fresh-baked muffin.

The infants, all securely seated in high chairs, were getting either baby food or bite-sized portions of what the older children were eating.

Teachers took notes on what every child was eating; notes on food intake and nap times go home with every child each day.

After breakfast, the toddlers helped clear their own plates, and then rushed to the sink to brush their teeth, before heading out into the large, brightly-colored playroom.

The new center, which just opened in January, offers childcare five days a week for infants six weeks and older to three years. The center is open year round, from 7:50 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. The center is part of the Early Head Start Program, which offers free childcare to those meeting federal income guidelines, and is also a certified child care center, offering a sliding fee scale for other families. The center is open to Bois Forte Band members, as well as children from the wider community.

In the adjacent rooms, the Vermilion Head Start program operates during the school year, offering programs for children ages three to five.

The program builds on the successful Early Head Start Program at Nett Lake, which now serves between 16 and 18 children. The new teachers at Vermilion were able to do extensive training under the direction of the staff at Nett Lake, prior to the opening of the Vermilion center.

In the playroom, one of the teachers danced with the children to classic nursery rhymes, and played simple games. Other children played with the plentiful assortment of toys and books. A second playroom, designed especially for infants, gives the youngest children a safe place to crawl, explore, and play.

The new program is located in a newly-renovated wing of the Vermilion Head Start building. In addition to separate play spaces, there is a nap room, changing room, children’s bathroom, and kitchen area, along with a quiet room for mothers who want to be able to visit and nurse their infants.

Even though it just opened, the center is full. With three teachers on staff, they are allowed to serve only 12 children, though not all children attend every day.

The center is hoping to hire a fourth teacher, which will allow the center to enroll an additional two infants and two toddlers. Training assistance is available with help from Bois Forte. Teachers must have their Child Development Associate (CDA) degree, similar to teaching requirements for regular Head Start. This degree program is offered at Mesabi Range Community College in Virginia, where two of the new teachers received their training.

Teacher Linda Bajan, who has a degree in early childhood education said the startup of the program has gone very well.

Funding for the renovations needed for the center was provided from a grant from the National Center on Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships. Bois Forte was one of only two tribes in the nation to receive a similar grant.

Early Head Start

This full-day, full-year program offers comprehensive services, similar to regular Head Start. The program enhances and supports early learning by providing children with high-quality, comprehensive and continuous services.

“We offer music, arts, literacy program, circle time, gym time, and more,” Program Director Christine Lundemo said. “We also follow the USDA food program.”

Strong relationship-based experiences support the children’s development and prepare them to transition into Vermilion’s regular Head Start program.

“Children who have been through Early Head Start score higher on their developmental screenings than children who were at home,” Lundemo said.

The program will also offer health and dental services, developmental screenings, and family services.

For information on enrollment or if you may be interested in a teaching or substitute teaching job at the center, please call Vermilion Head Start at 218-753-2024.