OUR VISION

By 2028 ICS will be globally recognized by strengthening comprehensive services for children and families.

OUR MISSION

ICS enriches and strengthens children, families and communities for future success.

From Our Executive Director

From Our Board Chair

It is an awesome responsibility to be given the opportunity to be a part of the lives of children and their families in fourteen of Mississippi’s eighty-two counties. We do not take this responsibility lightly. Each year is met with new challenges, and each year we commit and prepare to successfully meet them. In the next few years, we are facing even greater challenges as the landscape of education from preschool through college is possibly facing the greatest shifts in recent history. Considering these potential changes, we must prepare our children and their families to navigate these new waters as they strive to achieve the educational outcomes they desire.

We will continue to recruit and retain employees who are willing and able to accept the responsibility of providing children with a head start. This includes a willingness to continue to learn and adjust as new methodologies, new technologies, and new laws dictate changes in how they do their jobs. We must believe that we can continue to make a difference every day in the lives of the children whose futures we hold in our hands.

We will always have challenges, and as the group of individuals that make up the Institute of Community Services, board, council, and employees, we can, and we must continue to Make Small Miracles a Great Success.

Regards,

Howard Hollins
Board Chairman

From Our Board Vice Chair

As the Vice-Chair for ICS Headstart, I am elated to showcase the highlights of the Headstart program. This program teaches skills that are vital to a child's readiness for school. It also actively engages in child and academic progress and development which helps to set them up for success later. Not only do we serve those children under our guide, but we also support and assist those parents/guardians and other family members who are an integral part of a child's life and educational journey.

Here at Headstart, we provide services that work hand in hand to enhance a child academically as well as their personal life. We advocate for those seeking the best educational option for their child who may be under-resourced. We also promote a positive and nurturing environment that is conducive to every child's learning and to the support of our staff. As we thrive daily, we continue to positively impact the lives of those families that we serve in our communities.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge those within the Headstart program for their unwavering commitment to serving in their capacities, helping to achieve success, and seizing every moment to help every child reach his or her full potential. It is their cohesiveness, dedication, and strength that helps this program achieve and maintain the highest standard for early childhood education. Thank You.

Juanita Jones, Vice-Chair

ICS Board of Directors

From Our Policy Council Chair

I am truly honored to continue serving as the Chair of the Policy Council for ICS Head Start. This role marks an important chapter in my mission to support and uplift the children and families in our community.

As we move forward, I encourage all parents to join us, share their ideas, and help shape our community. Together, we can create a brighter future for our children and make a lasting impact on their lives.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment.

Warm regards,
Sherise Jones-Sims
Chair, Policy Council
ICS Head Start

From the Office of Public Relations

To our many Head Start friends,

We take pleasure in putting this Public Report together so that you, our public and friends, see what we do. As you turn the pages or scroll through this report on our web-site, we hope that you can get a feel of what is happening here at ICS. We hope this report demonstrates our commitment to learning and modeling positive behavior to the students in our classrooms.

The agency is operating on excellence and accountability. What believe that whatever we do, we must do it with pride. It is the commitment of a dedicated staff that enables us to say “We Make Small Miracles A Great Success.” Knowing what is expected of us in our individual roles, working together as a team, and being committed to serving our children and their families is what ICS is all about. Working together makes it happen.

Office of Public Relations
Fannie L. Lampley, Director

Click on the links below to view the other sections of the Annual Report. Each page will open in a new window.