ACAP to Provide Preschool Services for Children Affected by Circle of Learning Closure

Aroostook County Action Program will provide preschool special education services to a number of families in northern Maine for the coming two months through an agreement reached this week with State of Maine, Child Development Services.

Sue Powers, Senior Manager, ACAP Family Services, says the temporary contract will allow for 37 students attending programs offered in Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton to return to class on Monday, May 2. The children were previously enrolled in the Circle of Learning Preschool in each community, which ceased operations on Friday, April 22.

In addition, staff who meet Maine Department of Education and ACAP classroom qualifications have been extended offers of employment to join the agency and provide special education instruction to the children enrolled through June 30, 2016.

Powers says working with Child Development Services to form a plan to address the needs of children and families who lost special education services was the right thing to do. "The children impacted depend on stable, consistent programming, staff and environments so we set out to design a plan that would best address these needs in an effective and efficient manner."

Programs in Caribou and Houlton will be delivered in existing classrooms at ACAP Early Care and Education Centers. In Presque Isle, the integrated classroom that had been located on the campus of the University of Maine at Presque Isle will move to ACAP Early Care and Education Center at the Gouldville school, effective May 2.

Jason Parent, ACAP executive director/CEO says the organization has provided families with comprehensive and affordable prenatal, infant, toddler, and preschool education and child development programs for 51 years. Programs offered throughout Aroostook County include Head Start - both center-based and home-based programs, Early Head Start, and child care.

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