State funding forces WSOS to close Republic preschool
By Nick Dutro, ndutro@advertiser-tribune.comDue to recent cuts in the state budget, WSOS Community Action Commission Inc. has been forced to close two of its child development centers, one in Republic and one in Elmore.
WSOS bundles its funding to provide early learning services to child development centers.
Neil McCabe, president/corporate executive officer at WSOS, said he is impressed by how well its program combines funding using Early Learning Initiative, Head Start and other funding options, but it also could spell trouble if one or more of these funding options collapse. This was the case when the state eliminated its funding for the 2009-10 ELI.
"It's really a very elegant model," McCabe said. "It diversified the funding so that one student may be a Head Start student, the second student may be there because of ELI, but they're all getting the same excellent program. However, that does puts us at risk if there are state budget problems."
In addition to cutting the ELI program completely, Public School Preschool funds through the Ohio Department of Education were cut by 25 percent.
"That means that we had hundreds of young kids that we could no longer serve," McCabe said.
This loss of $1.6 million also has caused WSOS to reduce classrooms at its facilities in Fremont and Bowling Green, as well as cut two teacher mentors, two home-based teachers and one center supervisor. Five family advocate positions were reduced from year-round to seasonal.
Families who qualify for the Head Start program are to be able to access preschool services through the WSOS home-based program or at nearby centers. These programs provide workers who are to go into the home and work with parents and students, and provide some kind of monthly socialization.
WSOS is competing for some federal funding for increases in the Head Start program, but McCabe said he does not believe it will see any state funding in the near future.
"I think the strains of the DJSF money are so great, I don't think that's likely," McCabe said. "I don't think we're going to see, at least by this biennium, the ELI program come back."
Overall, WSOS actually is to increase its funding, and some programs are growing fairly rapidly, while others, such as early childhood, are contracting.
"It's just the nature of the fact that the funding comes from different levels and sources," McCabe said. "Entities that are getting federal funding are seeing increases, but state funding are seeing no increases, or even decreases."
Joyce Huntley, director of public relations, said the child development center in Republic, located at United Church of Christ at 312 Madison St., was open for around 12 years.
For more information about the elimination of the program, contact WSOS at (419) 334-8911.
In other news, WSOS began its campaign for the 15th annual People Helping People fund in July.
"It's a small fundraising effort to assist people currently receiving services from any of our various programs, but still have a need outside of what a grant can cover," Huntley said.
These fundraising dollars have been used to provide assistance for families where grant funding did not allow. In the past, WSOS has used these funds to help with car repairs, medical supplies, building wheelchair ramps, paying for utility bills and many other requests.
"We raise just a little over $20,000 a year on it, but it's so important when the federal rules and regulations do not offer some activity," McCabe said. "It really pales in comparison to some of the other funding, but there are times when [other funding options] can't do anything and what does help is the money that people have donated."
Since its inception, the People Helping People fund has raised a quarter of a million dollars.
"We don't get big donations, but we appreciate every penny," Huntley said.
The campaign is open until June 30. Donations of any amount are appreciated, and all donations are tax deductible.
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