www.record-eagle.com/2007/may/20migrant.htm -
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Published on: 5/20/2007
Last Visited: 6/20/2007
Located off the beaten path about a mile north of Kampvilla RV Park and its prominent landmark, a giant yellow dinosaur, the Bear Lake center is one of two Migrant Head Start centers in northwest Lower Michigan that are gearing up for the growing season, said Patricia Raymond, State Head Start director.Opening and closing on a timetable determined by area crops, the centers here and in Suttons Bay provide a safe educational environment for children 2 weeks to 5 years whose parents will spend the summer working in local orchards and fields.
Unlike regular full-time employees who get at least six weeks of maternity leave, "migrant workers don't have that luxury," Raymond said.
"Most are two-parent families and they're working out in the field so there are very limited resources to take care of their children.This keeps children out of the fields and it keeps them safe," she said.
The centers are among 17 seasonal head start centers around the state that are funded by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and operated by Telamon, a private non-profit corporation that provides programs to those in need, especially migrant and farm workers, Raymond said.