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The Mount Pleasant ISD Child Development Center is accepting applications for the upcoming school year for children aged newborn through four years old. The CDC has a wide variety of programs for children and parents to ensure that families are provided with relevant educational, health, economic, and social benefits.
The CDC has achieved great success in early childhood education since its inception. According to CDC staff, hard work, determination, aggressive goal setting, competing for discretionary grant funds, and determined people have also contributed to the center’s many achievements. Some of the more notable achievements include:
• Development of a birth-to-five program for Titus County.
• Texas Rising Star (Four Star Provider).
• Exception-free annual audits for life of the Head Start/EHS grant.
• Implementation of 2 Texas Family Literacy projects.
• Acquisition and implementation of two Department of Education Early Reading First projects, spanning over 8 years.
• Participation and training in the I’m Moving I’m Learning program.
• Pre-Kindergarten Early Start grant project (PKES) Tier II.
• Texas Early Education Model Rural Initiative (TEEM).
• Development of 39 working partnerships with the local community.
• Active participant in the Food4Kids Backpack Club.
• Active member and recipient of Titus County Cares resources.
• Grantee for the Books for Ownership program through Reading is Fundamental (RIF) for 13 years.
• Grantee for the Bushel and First Book programs.
• Recipient of Texas High-Quality Pre K grant
• Implementation of Conscious Discipline on campus with great success.
While enrolled at the center, teachers and staff will evaluate each child’s needs and ensure that educational content is tailor-made for the child. All educators on staff have received accreditation in early childhood education, and the center has a number of resources for families with special needs.
Programs offered include early head start for infants and children under three years old, head start and pre-kindergarten for three- and four-year-olds, and a preschool program for children between three and six years old who have disabilities.
The center also provides a two-way dual language program in which native English speakers are paired with native Spanish speakers. According to the center, a majority of the children in the program become bilingual before reaching the end of kindergarten.
In addition to this, the CDC provides optional classes for parents which cover a myriad of topics. Previous courses have covered cooking, financial literacy, parenting, and many other subjects. Events are also held to promote healthy relationships within the families and brighter futures.
Not only does the CDC care for children, but it also provides services to expectant mothers. The center works to ensure that all prenatal needs are met, all necessary benefits programs are applied for, and that parents have the support they need to continue developing their careers after the baby arrives.
To apply your child for the next school year or to inquire about additional services, the CDC can be contacted at (903) 575-2092. Applications can also be picked up at the CDC or printed from the website.
“We have come to the realization that parents who have tried to enroll their infant and didn’t get in due to limited spots available,” says Rachel Barkley, the center’s Behavior/Trauma-Informed Care Specialist. “Often, the impression is that their 3-4 year old won’t qualify because they didn’t as an infant, but that is often not the case. We have over 300 spots in our PreK/HeadStart program in comparison to about 80 spots in our Early Head Start (ages 0-2). If parents tried to enroll their baby when they were 0-2 years of age, and they are now 3-4 years old, we encourage parents to fill out an application packet again, as there are many more spots available.”