Adams named director of Laf. Head Start program

The Lafourche Parish Council confirmed the appointment of Vicki Adams as the director of the Head Start early childhood education program at its July 14 meeting.

Adams is replacing Martha Babin, who after 47 years working in early childhood education is retiring. Babin spent the last 11 years as the Head Start director in Lafourche Parish.

Head Start is a federally funded early childhood education program for three-and four-year-olds from low-income families. The intent is to better prepare these children for kindergarten and beyond in order to combat poverty through education.

In Lafourche Parish, the Head Start program educates more than 200 children and employs 30 teachers.

Adams has worked as an early childhood education consultant for the Louisiana Department of Education. During that time, Adams was involved with pilot programs for Act 3 implementation. Act 3 of the 2012 Legislative Session required that all early childhood education programs receiving federal or state money, both public and private, be integrated and revamped by the 2015-16 school year. It requires updated standards to which all daycares and preschools must ascribe to in order to ensure they fully prepare students for elementary school.

Lately, Adams has consulted principals, teachers, and literacy coaches in the Reading First program.