SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Similar to many preschool providers in post-pandemic Vermont, Lori Canfield, director of SEVCA Head Start, found herself in a difficult position. “The school year was starting in August, and we had no staff for our White River Junction program. Zero – we had families excited to enroll, but no teachers.”
SEVCA Head Start has operated four programs across Windsor County for years. SEVCA Head Start offers comprehensive services for children and families regarding health, nutrition, education, and parent engagement. SEVCA Head Start serves the whole family, because the wellbeing of the child is linked to the wellbeing of the entire family.
Vermont’s early education landscape has changed in the past few years; one of the most impactful changes is the proliferation of public preschool programs. Like many district schools, Head Start has significant requirements for staff who work in the classroom. However, since it has prescriptive federal funding, SEVCA Head Start has not been able to be competitive on salary.
“My staff says that they love the work, but the vast majority are not able to live on Head Start income alone and take second jobs to make ends meet. We lose staff to district schools that are able to pay better. Our inability to hire and retain the staff we need threatened the entire program. We had to make a change.”
The organization recently submitted a change of scope plan to the regional Head Start office. The plan would allow for SEVCA Head Start to pay teachers a more competitive wage. However, to make the plan work, the number of sites will be reduced from four to two. The plan includes restructuring the Head Start program from four locations hosting five classrooms that offered school-year and part-time care, to two locations offering full-day programming throughout the year, including during the summer.
The Chester Community Preschool would have spaces for 30 children, and the Pine Street Preschool in Springfield will host 30 children. The WRJ and Windsor classrooms would close. This reduces nine staff positions, but with some creativity and seasonal attrition, SEVCA Head Start expects just four people to lose their jobs. The organization is working hard to support people in seamlessly moving to other roles within SEVCA or the community. Fortunately, the Windsor building will house the program’s administrative offices as the organization looks for future opportunities.
Five children were slated to return next year to Windsor, and are affected by the closure. The families are being supported to find alternative placement in a different SEVCA Head Start site, or with a similar program.
The restructure will allow SEVCA to raise staff pay to bring wages to parity with the local schools, and will increase the number of hours programs stay open. Full-day, full-year care aligns more closely with the needs of working families. It will reduce the teacher-student ratio of 15 children to three teachers in each classroom, which will ensure better outcomes for children.
“It is always hard to propose such a significant change. The staff is like a family, and we develop such strong relationships with our students and their families. As hard as it is, the staff, our families, Policy Council, and the SEVCA Board understand that this action will leave us with a more sustainable program that can be ready to take on new growth in the future,” said Canfield. “I’m optimistic our plan will be approved, and we will move forward on solid ground.”