SELLERSBURG — U.S. Rep. Baron Hill was at Community Action of Southern Indiana on Monday to see how more than $1.4 million in stimulus funding is helping the public.

CASI is set to launch its Early Head Start Project beginning May 3 that will provide aid to 12 pregnant women and 60 children for a two-year period.

Assistance will come in the form of educational programs, socialization opportunities, nutritional health and prenatal programs and monitoring of children from birth to 3 years old and their parents for two years.

The program’s funds — through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — are specifically designated to be spent in a certain manner.

Start-up funding for the program totaled $235,086, operating funds were $216,000 and training totaled $32,400 for the first year of the program. In its second year, the grant will pay $648,000 in operating expenses and $16,000 for training.

But beyond two-years, funding has not been guaranteed for the Head Start program.

“We are really hoping this will last more than two years,” said Joy Shanks, director of CASI’s Early Head Start Program. “We just feel like there is a real need in our community for early head-start.”

If community support is any indication, CASI may be in good shape.



LOCAL HELP



As part of the federal funding requirements, CASI is required to provide a local match of $286,922, which can also be in-kind contributions.

According to Shanks, the program is well ahead of the pace to meet its required match, with $50,000 over its mandated income — almost $100,000 of matching money — including $68,000 in renovation costs from Southern Realty Co., which is leasing out the space provided for offices and meeting space.

“I was looking for a building that we could have the socialization and the office area together, so parents would only have to go to one place,” Shanks said.

Children and parents directly involved aren’t the only ones seeing a benefit.

“This facility here obviously accomplishes two things: It hires 11 people and pumps money into the local economy, but it also has the long-term effect of helping children and parents,” Hill said. “If you give a little help early enough, you save a whole lot money in the long run,” he said.

Hill followed his comment by referencing a statistic that for every person that lacks a high school education, it costs society about $1 million over a lifetime in aid.

For CASI, aid will help direct the parents and the children, in part by connecting them and guiding them.

“Over those years, I’ve seen a definite need, especially in children’s behaviors and discipline ... so we’re going to focus a lot on that,” Shanks said.

To apply for the program, parents will need to meet a specified criteria regarding income level and will be chosen based on a point system, which evaluates those that are the most at risk and in the greatest need.

An active recruitment period is ongoing, but individuals may sign up as well. An open house week for the head start program will be held April 26 to 30, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As part of the program, employees of CASI will conduct in-home visits as well as provide meetings at the organization’s facility in Sellersburg.

“Twice-a-week they come in for a socialization and that’s where they can meet each other and see ... I’m not alone,” said Debra Gaetano, manager of the program.

The socialization portion of the project is designed to network the parents as well as allow them to provide advice to one another. 

“A lot of times, you learn a lot from your peers, people that are in the same situation,” Gaetano said. “We work with the parents so that they can work with the children.”



ROUND TWO?

In his second week of traveling throughout his district while Congress is between sessions, Hill has said he has seen the benefits of nearly $150 million worth of ARRA programs being implemented.

“A lot of the criticisms that I heard six months ago I’m not hearing as many today, because [people] are actually seeing the jobs being created in their community,” Hill said. “I mean, you can’t deny that new jobs are being created; here’s 11 jobs just right here.”

In addition to the CASI funding, Hill cited road projects, sewer projects and a project totaling $54 million to produce a cleaner burning and more fuel-efficient diesel engine project at Columbus-based Cummins Inc.

“Both private and public money [are] being pumped into the economy,” Hill said. “My understanding is we’ve only done about 45 percent of the total stimulus money, so there’s another 55 percent still out there.”

For the Cummins Engines project, nearly 200 jobs are being created, Hill said.

The visits in the 9th district have reaffirmed Hills desire to see another round of stimulus funding in the form of the jobs bill getting passed.

“It’s obvious that jobs are being created. There’s no question about it,” Hill said. “Of course, we want to do what we can to get our fair share here in Southern Indiana.”

When the jobs bill will be passed is still uncertain, but Hill believes Southern Indiana could see another round of stimulus within the next couple of weeks.

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STIMULUS STATS

• 11 new jobs have been created at Community Action of Southern Indiana

• Jobs include: Program manager, administrative assistant, health/nutrition coordinator, mental health/disabilities coordinator, family services coordinator and six home visitor positions.

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding: $1,147,686

• Local match: $286,922

• Total investment: $1,434,608



So you know

• Community Action of Southern Indiana’s Head Start Program is based at the group’s Sellersburg location: 102 N. Indiana Ave. For more information, call 812-288-6451