A 10-month struggle to keep the Head Start program at The University of Memphis ended June 1 when representatives from both sides came to an agreement not to renew the 5-year-old grant to fund the services.
The Head Start program is a federally funded initiative that provides free child care to low income families and prepares pre school children ages three to four-years-old for kindergarten.
Parents gathered petitions and planned meetings with the Shelby County
Commissioners, but never got a chance to present the pages of signatures to anyone in government, according to Vicki Azlin, who had a grand son in the program.
Azlin said parents were left in the dark through the entire decision-making process about the future of The U of M Head Start program.
"We never got a straight answer," she said. "I think The University and the university students with children that were serviced by that program are missing out."
In November 2010, Shelby County Commissioners denied the program more than $400,000 in federal funding, sparking parent protests and community concern.
Under the guidelines of its last Head Start grant, The University had to pay 25 percent of the total cost of the program, about $6,800 per child.
Donald Wagner, dean of the College of Education, said what was previously the Head Start classroom will be used as a multi-purpose room that will house adult classes and an after-school program during various parts of the school day.
"The program was discontinued to make room for children on the waiting list for the Lipman program," he said.
Wagner said the Shelby County Head Start Director, John Lovelace, assured him that he could help find spots in other locations in Memphis for children whose parents want them to continue in Head Start.
Turner said The U of M will begin a new research partnership, but details of the partnership are still developing.
Parents received notification that the program would end at The U of M in May in a letter addressed from "The Fairy Godmother," or Sandra Turner, director of the Lipman School.
"I owe a debt of gratitude to the Head Start Staff…and the parents of the Head Start children for the grace they have shown in the last turbulent year when the Shelby County Commission raised many questions about our continuing in December," Turner said in the letter. "I so appreciate the community-building we did in our struggle to hold on."
