Early Head Start has arrived in Caldwell County, bringing with it new jobs and new resources for families with young children.

As part of a two-year grant worth $1.9 million, the Family, Infant and Preschool Program (FIPP) has expanded the Alexander County Early Head Start Program into Burke and Caldwell counties. The program, which serves 68 families in Alexander County, will feature home visits and classroom-based programs. It also will bring 12 jobs to Caldwell County, including six teachers, three home visitors, an administrative assistant and two coordinators.

Jennifer Robson, Caldwell County Early Head Start Program coordinator, said the program will serve 32 children and their families through home visits and 24 children in three classrooms at the Family Resource Center, located at 609 Harper Ave., Lenoir. She said the Family Resource Center will continue its group social interactions and start the home visits right away, but the early childhood classrooms won't open until later this spring when renovation is complete. Robson said the center will expand into the former Kerr Drug property next door.

"We have such a need for this program in the three-county area," said M'Lisa Shelden, FIPP director. "With the help of our outstanding partners in this project and the support of the community, we are looking forward to helping meet the needs of the children and their families. The purpose of Early Head Start is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, to enhance the development of very young children, and to promote healthy family functioning for low-income families with infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age and women who are pregnant."

To celebrate the new program, area dignitaries, staff and other community members hosted an open house Wednesday and officially reopened the Family Resource Center. Lenoir Mayor David Barlow expressed his gratitude to the staff for its continued efforts during these past few years and encouraged all parents with young children to see what is being offered. He said it is important to spread the word about what is being done at the center because it truly is benefiting today's children.

In addition, County Commissioner Ron Beane, who was instrumental in keeping the doors open to the Family Resource Center, said he is excited to see this dream come true. He said he believes that the children of Caldwell County deserve a place like this to visit, and he is proud of the efforts of everyone involved.

"It's hard to explain just how much it means to us to have this program available to our community," said Sarah Sexton, Early Head Start director. "This has been a vision of mine for many years, and to see it become a reality is overwhelming. We now hope to create a seamless partnership between the Early Head Start program and Even Start because the children can graduate from one program to another without breaking a connection."

For more information or to enroll, contact Jennifer Robson at (828) 757-8632.