By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – More at-risk children will be able to get more help in preparing for school, thanks to a grant for a Bloomington early childhood agency.

Children’s Home and Aid has received two Illinois State Board of Education grants totaling $577,000.

“It’s expansion but it’s also enhancement because it allows us to add things, such as for 0 to 3 years old, an infant mental health consultant, a nurse’s consultant,” Regional Vice President Lisa Pieper said. “We haven’t been able to afford those things before.”

Pieper said the agency plans to hire up to nine employees in all, primarily teachers, as soon as possible.

The expansion will allow for more children to enroll and those in half-day preschool will move to full-day.

“It’s work with these children and their parents to help make sure all of the traditional school readiness things are happening so that they will also be very successful in kindergarten,” Pieper said.

Pieper added the grant also allows for transportation for families who need it.

She said the Preschool for All program should be up and running later this month and its preventative initiative to begin building up to capacity in late December.

Parents interested in applying their child for the programs should call (309) 834-5210.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].