Applications are being accepted at the Poplarville Head Start Center, and the staff urge parents to submit their applications now before all of the available spaces are filled.

Center Administrator Carol Avery said that, at times, parents wait until the last minute to submit their applications. This can create an issue, because there are only 57 slots for children aged 3- to 4-years-old, and only 17 of those slots are set aside for incoming 3-year-olds.

If the parents wait until the last minute to register their children, there is a chance they can still attend Head Start, which is part of Mississippi Action For Progress, but only if spots open up on the waiting list.

Eligible families include those with a child who will reach age 3 by Sept. 1 of this year, and meet the income requirements. To enroll, parents will need to bring the child’s birth certificate, proof of family income via the last year’s check stubs, proof of insurance, social security card, the child’s immunization record and, if applicable, custody papers.

This information can be brought to the Poplarville Head Start Center, located at 205 East Locke St., Poplarville, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday until May 19. After that date, parents will need to call 601-798-6981 to make arrangements to complete an application, Avery said.

Head Start is an education program for low-income families to help prepare children for school. The program also promotes stable family relationships, according to the program’s mission statement.

Avery said the program helps children increase their self-confidence while developing their math and literacy skills.

For more information about Head Start, visit www.mapheadstart.org.