Updated, 5:50 p.m., ACF response – nothing from NEON; 4:52 p.m., CDI hotline message, short video; 1:11 p.m., comment from Moccia.
NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia said Tuesday morning that the city is trying to facilitate a solution to the interruption of Head Start services for children by working with the two agencies involved, even as he continues to disavow responsibility for the situation. At 5:48 p.m., that action had not borne any fruit.
While leaders of Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now (NEON) said last week that they could not relinquish their license to an agency appointed by the federal government to take over Head Start operations, Moccia and Corporation Counsel Robert Maslan said the state has now agreed to allow both agencies to co-exist in city facilities under different licenses.
Moccia is threatening NEON with legal action. Maslan said the city could call in authorities to investigate NEON’s financial improprieties. He did not say why that has not been done already.
Moccia said the federal government has withheld money from NEON’s Head Start program, that the money withheld by the city has nothing to do with the current situation – a suspension of NEON’s Head Start program that was mandated by the Administration for Children and Families Office of Head Start (ACF).
Moccia, speaking to the press at a Tuesday morning press conference, produced a letter sent to NEON board Chairman Mike Berkhoff from Community Development Institute on Tuesday morning. CDI requests that Berkhoff sign the letter and return it to them by 5 p.m. That will allow CDI to use the city-owned buildings where NEON’s Head Start programs take place, with a formal Memorandum of Understanding to follow.
“Solutions do exist,” Moccia said in a press release. “It is possible for NEON to allow the continuation of Head Start programs at Nathaniel Ely School, under the management of CDI as mandated by the suspension order. Unless NEON cooperates with ACF, CDI will have to search for an alternate locate to operate the Head Start program. This will take time, and will result in further disruption and uncertainty for the children and their families.”
The CDI hotline that has been setup for NEON Head Start parents was updated Tuesday. At 4:51 p.m. it said CDI would not be operating Head Start Wednesday. There was no further information. At 5:48 p.m. ACF spokesman Kenneth Wolfe said officials were still waiting for a reply on the MoU.
Norwalk is prepared to take legal action, Moccia said.
That will include calling the U.S. Attorney, the Connecticut Attorney General and chief state’s attorney to conduct immediate investigations into NEON’s financial improprieties. Legal action to enforce NEON’s obligations under its lease with the city, including injunctive relief mandating that NEON turn over control of the Head Start program to CDI.
The 5 p.m. deadline exists because CDI needs to find another location if NEON refuses to cooperate, Moccia said. This is “One more final chance,” he said.
He said, “I beg the board, I beg the leadership to please sign this letter of agreement for the kids and then do your appeal process, and argue where you think there is misinformation.”
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