Child Development Centers, Inc. (CDC) the Venango County based organization taking over Erie County Head Start operations has announced the five different sites it plans to operate when the program resumes in the fall.

GECAC which had run the federal program for decades lost the grant award to continue it.

Instead, the non-profit CDC was awarded the five-year, $40 million Head Start grant for Erie County.

CDC officials say they have spent the last few weeks finalizing the list of locations that will serve a total of 680 children. How many student slots will be available per site is subject to change.

They list the following classroom locations:

Millcreek Learning Center – 3814 Asbury Road - Up to 20 classrooms

St. John’s – 504 East 27th Street -  Up to 13 classrooms

Elk Valley Elementary School – 2556 Maple Avenue - Serving up to 40 children in two classrooms

Shiloh Child Care Center – 909 East 5th Street - Serving up to 40 children in two classrooms

John E. Horan Garden Apartments –730 Tacoma Road - Serving up to 20 children in one classroom

After weighing many site options, CDC officials determined this initial list of locations would be the most viable and provide children with a safe environment in which they can learn. 

“These were extremely difficult decisions for our team to make,” CDC Executive Director Rina Irwin said. “We understand that there are some communities that we are not reaching with these sites, but we wanted to ensure we have a presence in the areas with the greatest need and have adequate facilities that meet our standards of quality.”

Families interested in enrolling their children in the program can click here to submit a preschool eligibility form. A CDC representative will contact you when they're ready to begin accepting children.

CDC plans to launch its Head Start program in Erie County on September 9.