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    2Oct, 2018
    Fall Fest Will Be October 3

    Carey Services and the Early Head Start Program will participate in the annual Fall Fest on Oct. 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA in downtown Marion.

    The free annual event is sponsored by Little Giants Preschool – Head Start and the Early Head Start program. The event is designed for families with children from birth to 12 years old who live in Grant or Blackford counties.

    Numerous community organizations will be at the festival to provide information, developmental screenings and car seat inspections. Games and prizes for the children also will be available.

    31Aug, 2018
    Early Head Start Annual Report Available

    Carey Services’ Early Head Start program has released its annual report for the most recent program year, which ran from May 1, 2017 to April 30, 2018. The report highlights various accomplishments for the year, including obtaining the highest levels of accreditation, while serving more than 200 families and children for the year. The report also includes a farewell letter from Cathy Queen, who recently retired as program director.

    You can view the annual report by clicking here.

    16Jul, 2018
    New Early Head Start Director Begins Work

    Beth Wickham has joined Carey Services as the director of the agency’s Early Head Start program, replacing longtime director Cathy Queen, who recently retired.

    Wickham has more than 20 years of experience in Head Start programming. She began her Head Start career as a teacher and eventually became site director and education coordinator with the Community and Family Services program in Portland, Ind. She is a Gas City native and Mississinewa High School graduate who currently lives in Marion. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Ashford University and plans to pursue a master’s degree in early childhood education.

    “I’m excited to be joining Carey Services and the tremendous team that has demonstrated much success over the years through the Early Head Start program,” Wickham said. “I’m passionate about helping children and helping them start off life on the right footing so they can be successful as they grow.”

    Carey Services is the Early Head Start provider for Grant and Blackford counties, working with 130 children and families from pre-natal care through 3 years old at any given time. In 2017, more than 235 children and families participated in some facet of Early Head Start programming.

    “Beth brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Carey Services and to the Early Head Start programming,” said Jim Allbaugh, Carey Services’ president and chief executive officer. “She’s already hit the ground running getting acquainted with her staff and the families we serve, and she will be a great person to continue the quality of care those we serve have come to expect from Carey Services.”

    28Jun, 2018
    NAP Credits Available July 1

    The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has again awarded Carey Services Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits to sell to donors. Donors can being officially taking advantage of the new round of credits on July 1.

    Individuals and businesses who donate to Carey Services through NAP are able to take a tax credit on their Indiana state income tax return for 50 percent of the amount of the donation and reduce their tax liability to the state. Donors also are able to claim the donation on their federal tax returns. A minimum $100 donation must be made to be eligible for a tax credit.

    Carey Services will use the donations received through NAP to help defray construction costs at the Pleasant Square apartment complex being built as part of our Marion campus. The complex is a second phase of the agency’s affordable housing initiative that began with the Pleasant Woods complex and will include five units that each will have two duplex-style apartments. It is scheduled to be completed in November.

    For more information on NAP credits, call Carey Services at (765) 668-8961, extension, 111, and ask for April Scott, or send her an email at ascott@careyservices.com.

    4Oct, 2017
    October Head Start Awareness Month

    Carey Services’ Early Head Start program is participating in National Head Start Awareness Month throughout the month of October.

    The National Head Start Association organizes national activities to raise awareness for the Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout the country and for early childhood development issues in general.

    Carey Services’ Early Head Start program served 235 pre-natal mothers and children 0-3 last year in Grant and Blackford counties. It is one of 25 Early Head Start programs in the state.

    24Jul, 2017
    Join Carey Services at Rock the Way

    Carey Services will participate in the annual Rock the Way event that promotes United Way and the work not-for-profit agencies do in Grant County.

    The event will be July 25 at Gas City Park. Agency booths will open at 4 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. This year’s band will be The Family Stone.

    14Apr, 2016
    Early Head Start Receives NAEYC Accreditation

    Carey Services has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s leading organization of high-quality early childhood professionals and programming. The agency earned this accreditation for its Grant and Blackford classroom programming and this adds value to the early childhood partnerships and services in those two counties.

    “We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to this community and the children as we reach the highest professional standards for early childhood education,” said Cathy Queen, director of Early Head Start at Carey Services. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know children in our high-quality program have teachers who create engaging classrooms, enhance relationships with their parents and families, and develop rich experiences for their students to assure they are school ready for Grant and Blackford County schools.”

    Carey Services serves 48 children ages 1-3 and their families in classroom settings in Grant and Blackford counties, as well as 82 children ages 0-3 and families in home-based programming. Carey Services has provided the Early Head Start program since 1998 and routinely receives high marks in state and federal reviews. In earning accreditation through NAEYC, Carey Services is eligible to achieve a Level IV Paths to Quality – the highest level of quality for childcare in Indiana.

    To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Carey Services’ Early Head Start went through a voluntary, extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against 10 NAEYC early childhood program standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. The program received NAEYC accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

    “It’s a lengthy and rigorous process to achieve NAEYC accreditation, and we are proud to meet these high standards for children and families in Grant and Blackford counties,” said Jim Allbaugh, president and CEO for Carey Services. “Carey Services is focused on assuring optimal brain development is achieved in the first few years of life to set a child’s path for success in school and in life.”

    In the 25 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. Carey Services is now one of over 7,000 programs currently accredited by NAEYC, nationwide.

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