Texas Migrant Council

MIGRANT SEASONAL HEAD START - THE MIGRANT SEASONAL HEAD START (MSHS) PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE NATION, PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES TO MORE THAN 6,400 MIGRANT CHILDREN, AGES SIX WEEKS TO COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE, AND THEIR FAMILIES EACH YEAR. THE MSHS PROGRAM PROVIDES EDUCATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME CHILDREN OF MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARM WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN TEXAS, OHIO, INDIANA, NEW MEXICO, WISCONSIN, OKLAHOMA, IOWA AND NEVADA. OUR STRATEGY MIRRORS THE OBJECTIVES OF HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START IN THAT WE ENHANCE CHILDREN'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AS THE PRIMARY NURTURERS AND TEACHERS OF THEIR CHILDREN, PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL SERVICES AND LINK CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO NEEDED COMMUNITY SERVICES.EACH CENTER IS ADMINISTERED BY A CENTER MANAGER AND STAFFED WITH FAMILY SERVICE ADVOCATES, A CHILD DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE, TEACHERS, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, TRANSPORTATION/CUSTODIAL, AND KITCHEN PERSONNEL. THE ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT OF CENTER OPERATIONS IS MAINTAINED BY REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AND PROGRAM AREA COORDINATORS. REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS IMPLEMENT WORK PLANS, UTILIZING A TEAM MANAGEMENT APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY THAT FOCUSES ON THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.OUR PROGRAM USES A GRASS ROOTS APPROACH TO ENGAGE PARENTS IN the DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THIS IS CONDUCTED BY USING LOCAL PARENTS CENTER COMMITTEES, AND A PARENT POLICY COUNCIL THAT MEETS ON A MONTHLY BASIS.OUR MSHS PROGRAM PROVIDES CENTER BASED SERVICES TO MIGRANT AND SEASONAL CHILDREN AS THEIR FAMILIES PREPARE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SEASON IN THEIR HOME TOWNS, THEY MIGRATE TO THE DIFFERENT STATES TO WORK THE HARVESTS AND AS THEY RETURN BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HOME TOWNS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE HARVEST SEASON.DURING FISCAL YEAR 2017 SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO 4,778 CHILDREN.

One stop workforce centers - For more than a decade, TMC has managed the contract for Workforce Solutions - Golden Crescent. Workforce Solutions - Golden Crescent is a one-stop workforce system the operates in the counties of Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca and Victoria County. The regional office located in Victoria, Texas assists over 50,000 adults with employment opportunity services.Workforce Solutions offers employers and job seekers with job postings, interviewing and job preparation skills, employee pre-sceening tax credit incentives, labor market information, business seminars & workshops, skills assessment, skills training, career exploration, college and vocational training, computer classes, and child care services.Our One-Stop Center provides access to a variety of local, state and national job banks and has the resources to provide financial assistance if a potential job candidate needs specific training and meets eligibility requirements.Workforce Solutions offers child care services to more than 1,000 children on a daily basis and it administers the Communities in School Program mentoring over 1,000 students per year providing them with resources necessary to stay in school.In fiscal year 2017 865 individuals benefited.

Head Start/Early Head Start - TMC Head Start and Early Head Start is a program for preschool children from low-income families. TMC operates 15 centers in Starr County, 3 centers in Zapata County and 15 centers in 6 counties in Texas' Golden Crescent area.The Head Start program provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. The program promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children and families. The children enrolled in Head Start participate in a variety of pre-school educational activities. The program provides children with numerous opportunities to experience success, and to foster the role of parents as primary educators, nurturers, and advocates for their children. Head Start provides children with pre-school learning opportunities and places emphasis on social services, health/mental health, nutrition, and parental involvement services.Early Head Start is a program for children age zero to three that promotes healthy prenatal outcomes, healthy family functioning, and strengthens the development of infants and toddlers. The children enrolled in the Early Head Start program are provided a nurturing, safe and a developmentally appropriate learning environment for infants and toddlers that will enhance their growth, language, and social development. The program further promotes the parents as primary caregivers and educators of their children and encourage them to be strong advocates for their children. The Early Head Start program enrolls pregnant women and connects them to pre-postnatal care community resources.During fiscal year 2017 services were provided to 2,036 children.

Texas School Readiness (TSR) - In 2005 the Texas legislature, through the leadership of Texas senator Judith Zaffirini, directed the State Center for Early Childhood Development under Senate Bill 23, to explore how to better integrate the delivery of early childhood education for three- and four-year old children at risk for school failure. This bill challenged educators to assist Texas children, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and/or learning english as a second language. This legislation targets children who are entering kindergarten programs without the basic cognitive skills necessary for them to succeed academically and become school ready.From this effort, the Texas Early Education Model - now known as the Texas School Ready! Project (TSR) was created to form the basis for a statewide early childhood education program. This program provides cost-effective coordinated and integrated services to the greatest extent possible among early childcare facilities and education programs. The three key instructional components of TSR include reseach based curriculum, effective, and ongoing web-based professional development, and technology driven progress monitoring for child learning. If these criteria are met, an early childhood program is certified for preparing its children ready for kindergarten and is presented with a Texas School Ready certification.Our organization believes that each child must be prepared to enter kindergarten ready to learn. With programs administered in Laredo, Victoria, Starr county, and the Rio Grande Valley we are excited about the educational opportunities we provide. The TSR project is successful thanks to its partners. Partnerships include our migrant and seasonal Head Start program, county Head Start programs, the school districts, the Workforce Development Boards, and higher education facilities and private child care businesses. In fiscal year 2017 the program serviced 1,165 children.

Child Care Services - Contracts providing quality day care to low income families in various regions of Texas.