Author: dkunzman

Enriching the COMMUNITY
A Monthly Publication for friends of
Family Enrichment network

Family Enrichment Network
24 Cherry Street
Johnson City, NY 13790
www.familyenrichment.org
(607) 723-8313

January 2020

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ERSEA
What is ERSEA? Family Enrichment Network’s ERSEA department is part of the Head Start & Early Head Start programs. ERSEA stands for Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, & Attendance, and is how interested families begin the process of applying for either program. Family Enrichment Network has Head Start and Early Head Start programs in both Broome and Tioga Counties, serving children ages six weeks to 3 in Early Head Start and 3 and 4 year olds in Head Start. Federal income guidelines are used to determine eligibility of families for the programs: families are income eligible if their income is equal to or below poverty level, receive TANF or SSI, are homeless or the child is in foster care. ERSEA Staff recruit families within the Binghamton, Susquehanna Valley, Johnson City school districts as well as the Town of Binghamton, and portions of Port Dick in Broome County and all of Tioga County. Families contact the ERSEA office to have an application, brochure and cover letter sent to their home which is returned to the ERSEA office once the family completes the form. The new application is computerized and given to a Family Advocate who meets with the family to complete a pre-screening, which includes proof of income and age. The completed prescreening is computerized and taken to the Ranking Committee, which meets once every two weeks. Applications are ranked by number, not name, using established selection criteria to prioritize each application. As openings occur, the highest need child is selected and placed in program. For Head Start programs, enrollment takes place in late summer for the September start date with program ending in June of the following year. Early Head Start is a year round program, children age out after they turn 3 years old. Attendance in either program is monitored daily and families are encouraged to send their child to program every day to achieve the full benefit of program. Daily attendance ensures children learn routine, structure, social, emotional, self-help, and school readiness skills. Broome County sites for Head Start are on Cherry Street in Johnson City, Saratoga Housing Complex, Fayette Street and the Wilson School in Binghamton. Early Head Start sites in Broome County are at Cherry Street, Saratoga and Carlisle Housing Complex. Tioga County sites for Head Start are at Taylor Road in Owego, Whig Street in Newark Valley and Cooper Street in Waverly. Early Head Start classrooms in Tioga County are at the Taylor Road site.
To receive an application for Head Start or Early Head Start for Broome County contact (607) 723-8313, Ext. 850 or 880, or in Tioga County you may contact (607) 687-6721, Ext. 1104.
To learn more about ERSEA, visit our website at
www.familyenrichment.org or contact Kathy Gross at Ext. 880.
The mission of Family Enrichment Network is to provide supportive services for the optimal development of children and families. We believe in coordinating children and family services using a comprehensive and collaborative approach to improve their quality of life while ensuring the greatest value for our investment in child, adult, and parent development.