Maine UCEDD Funded to Re-establish and Direct Maine Head Start State Collaboration Office

October 28, 2013

Through an agreement with the Maine Governor's Office, the Maine Head Start State Collaboration Office (MHSSCO) will be re-established and located at the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies.

The goals and objectives of the Maine Head Start State Collaboration Office are to work towards the systemic alignment and integration of cross-system and cross-sector data, policy, procedure and professional development efforts, and to promote better linkages between Head Start/Early Head Start grantees and other child and family entities. The MHSSCO, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Head Start Directors Association, Maine Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network, and the Maine Children's Growth Council will work with other key stakeholders to collaboratively achieve the goals and objectives in the five-year (2013-2018) MHSSCO work plan.

Maine UCEDD Early Childhood Coordinator, Linda Labas, M.Ed., will serve as the MHSSCO Director. Labas has more than 35 years of professional experience in the area of early childhood and has coordinated several state and federally funded early childhood projects. Jill Downs, M.Ed., will serve as the MHSSCO Coordinator. Downs has 25 years of professional experience in the early childhood field, providing community education, technical assistance and facilitation to teachers and child care providers in preschool, Head Start, Early Head Start, public school Pre-K programs, child care and other early childhood community settings.

Funding for the Maine Head Start State Collaboration Office is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Head Start; and administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services.