By Quinn O’Hara

Corrected story:

Clay County Child Care Center, Inc. has announced the closing of their Cloud County Head Start program. Head Start is a federally funded preschool program that provides low-income families and their children with the tools necessary to succeed in kindergarten and future school experiences.

The location was part of a larger group of preschool centers that operate within Clay, Ottawa, Republic, Washington, and Cloud counties. The center was initially closed only temporarily in September, and an announcement made on October 31st informed families that the Head Start program in Cloud County would be permanently closed effective immediately. Executive Director Audrey Waid cited staffing issues as a leading cause of the closure.

Despite no longer offering Head Start in Cloud County, Clay County Child Care Center, Inc. will continue to provide Early Head Start to families in the county.

Any questions or concerns can be sent via email to Executive Director Audrey Waid at audrey.waid@cckids.org