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Early Head Start leaders and partners meet at FVSU to discuss grant funding

Earlier this week, we told you about several early head start programs throughout Central Georgia that were at risk of shutting down because of a funding gap.

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Lora McCants is an Early Head Start partner in Macon County. Since 2016, she's been working to get her daycare up and running. 

"It was a good idea for this grant to come here in this community because it was needed," says McCants.

In the meantime, the remainder of the previous federal grant helped her and her staff go to the homes of children to teach them. She says, "Fort Valley State implemented for us to do the home-based program for the children, to go in their home and do 90 minutes of service for each child per week."

The funding for her new daycare and this home-based program comes from a federal grant that Fort Valley State University applies for every five years.

Those funds are then evenly spread out to all the early head start programs and partners, according to Cedric Mobley, the director of strategic communications at the university.

"We were notified on August 30 so within two weeks we have turned around memoranda of understanding that are going out to our partners so that they understand that if they are going to partner with us during this new grant period and what is going to be expected of them," says Mobley.

With this new loan taking effect on September 1, programs will get their funding within days, including McCants, who says she wants her lawyer to look over the memorandum before signing anything.

She says, "I think it's a start, but I don't know how long it'll be before we can see the results."

This new grant will last until August of 2024. At that time, partners can choose whether or not to stay in the program and continue to receive grant funding.

RELATED: 'We need the finances:' Day cares funded through Fort Valley State program shut down

RELATED: Fort Valley day care closes due to lack of funding

RELATED: Central Georgia daycares affiliated with FVSU Early Head Start Program closed indefinitely

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