Co-Lin Announces Addition of Early Childhood Academy

Co-Lin announces the addition of a new Early Childhood Academy Resource and Referral Center on the college's Natchez Campus. Under the leadership and guidance of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC), Mississippi developed a family-based unified and integrated early childhood system that connects and integrates resources and services for both parents/caregivers and their children in three key areas: (1) early care and learning; (2) health, mental health, safety, and nutrition; and (3) family engagement.

The system is designed to place parents on a path to self-sufficiency and their children in childcare centers that provide high-quality services and learning experiences. It is structured to ensure eligible child care providers and early learning programs can provide a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment to children in their early years. Eligible childcare providers and early learning programs will be tasked with preparing all young children to be ready for school through various activities, including healthy eating, physical exercise, and improvement of cognitive, early learning, and social-emotional skills. The Center is also structured to engage families to promote the welfare, learning, and stability of young children through an integrated network of community-based resources and services.

The Early Childhood Academy collaborates with participating community and junior colleges, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and child care providers to ensure that Mississippi’s family-based unified and integrated early childhood system connects and integrates resources and services for both parents/caregivers and their children. Support for families will be provided by delivering consumer education to the public on characteristics of “high-quality care;” assisting parents with identifying and selecting child care programs that will best meet the needs of their child; and providing information about other programs and services that families may qualify for including workforce development, family support, and education.

Support for providers will be delivered through professional development and technical assistance opportunities; linking providers to external training opportunities that support provider needs; educating parents/providers through consumer education resources on best practices for child development and early childhood care and education; and informing providers of other programs and external services that may address their needs. It is our goal to build strong community partnerships by collaborating with state agencies, community partners, and education providers to expand and shape the quality of early childhood services; and conducting providers outreach to encourage their support of early childhood related services.

The Early Childhood Academy Resources and Referral Center is fully operational and offers providers and families the opportunity to check out a variety of age-appropriate, instructional aids, books, and/or software.

The Center is located in the Redd-Watkins Career-Technical Building on the Natchez Campus and is under the direction of Countess Thompson, coaching and professional development specialist.

For more information, feel free to visit or contact us at 601-446-1270. Email inquiries may be directed to the Resource and Referral Center Associate, shyviqua.brooks@colin.edu. Or to learn more about Early Childhood Academy visit www.mccb.edu and click on the Early Childhood Academy link.