FLINT, MI - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Head Start officials say they are opening up more classrooms and expanding the Head Start program in Flint but that may not be enough.
Nearly 6,000 Flint children are eligible for Head Start but there are only an estimated 1,100 taking advantage of the program and about 800 have been wait listed.
Officials say they are opening up the program to more students including adding additional classrooms to serve about 51 students, extending the school year by three weeks and adding 24 more students to their home-based preschool program. The expansion begins this month.
HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Lead Federal Official for Flint, Dr. Nicole Lurie, Head Start director Dr. Blanca Enriquez along with U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and U.S. Rep Dan Kildee announced plans to expand the head start program during a Wednesday, March 2 press conference.
Enriquez said Head Start will also increase behavioral, health and nutrition services, provide families with home visit support and help head start parents find transportation services to various appointments including doctor and WIC visits.
Peters said more needs to be done but the Head Start expansion is a good step moving forward to mitigate potential lead damage in Flint children.
"Head start without question provides the early intervention and support that is going to be critical for Flint children," Peters said. "Early education programs and wrap around services are crucial in us trying to mitigate the effects... This announcement is just a first step."
In September 2015 it was discovered by Hurley Medical Center doctors that children who had consumed water from city's water source -- the Flint River -- had elevated levels of lead in their blood. Prior to the Flint River, the city used Detroit as its water source. The switch was made in April of 2014 and since has been surrounded by a number of issues including boil advisory alerts, the potential cause of a Genesee County Legionnaires' disease outbreak, skin issues and the elevated lead levels in residents.
Peters, Kildee, Stabenow and a number of other state and community leaders along with federal agencies have lead various efforts to help mitigate the damage.
In February, U.S. Department of Agriculture heads announced the possibility of expanding Head Start and a number of nutrition efforts at Flint Community Schools for students.
Lead which can cause developmental issues in children can be mitigated with proper nutrition including eating foods rich in vitamins D and C and calcium fortified foods.
"What we know is...that lead is a neurotoxin and it affects the nervous system and brain development," said Lurie. "As a result if you don't get on top of it lead can lead to developmental delays and potentially children not reaching their full potential as they come into adulthood. That's why it's important that we jump on top of lead exposure right now."