Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency is a non-profit agency. The mission is Helping People, Changing Lives, and Ending Poverty. We have helped local families and communities out of poverty for over 50 years. Poverty is a complex issue, and our families need different types of interventions to successfully leave poverty. Therefore, our programs are funded to address different areas of a family’s life. Our programs include Older Youth, DDSO Respite Care, Head Start, Strengthening Families, Housing, Weatherization, and Foster Grandparents. We also have three Community Action Access Points (CAAP) in Ilion, Rome, and Utica. Anyone from the community can just walk in and receive and receive assistance from our knowledgeable resource specialist.
Head Start: Our largest program is Head Start/Early Head Start Program. Head Start is a federally funded program for the most vulnerable children in any community. They begin helping mother’s while they are pregnant and continue until the child is 5. MVCAA offers home-base and center-based options. Home-base families are visited weekly by a home base visitor. If a family chooses center based, we have 15 centers throughout Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison County to choose from. The child attends school daily with talented Early Childhood Professionals. At the same time, the families receive support, resources, and education as needed by our Family Support Specialist. This multi-generational, whole family approach is what makes Head Start such a successful program.
