Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Henderson Is Awarded Grant

Henderson State University is the recipient of an Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) grant for $100,000 from the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.

The eighth consecutive year for the university's program to receive this grant, it provides funding for a free preschool program offered by HSU Project Plus at the university's Child Service Center and a free preschool program offered at Sparkman Public School. It is the second renewal for Sparkman's program.

Project Plus offers a half-day center-based program for three- and four-year-old educationally at-risk children at no cost to the families.

This afternoon program is housed in the campus Child Service Center.

To qualify, the children must meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria: low birth weight baby, teenage parent, parent without a high school education, low income family, abused or neglected mother or child, substance abuse problem in the home, child with diagnosed disability or developmental delay, or child with limited English proficiency.

Henderson's program is scheduled to begin September 2 and Sparkman's is scheduled to begin August 19. There are openings in both programs.

Applications will be taken until programs are filled. For applications or more information, contact Darlene Wills at 870-230-5047 or Debbie Bowen at 870-678-2243.