NOWATA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed into law the reauthorization of the Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act on Monday, March 18, at a ceremony held at the construction site of the new Cherokee Nation Head Start Center in Nowata. The updated legislation provides $80 million in funding to support the replacement of aging early childhood education Head Start centers across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
“The Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act has enabled us to design and now build world class early childhood education facilities worthy of the Cherokee children who attend Head Start, worthy of our wonderful staff and worthy of the families who entrust their children to our care,” Chief Hoskin said. “By amending and expanding this landmark legislation, we reaffirm the Cherokee Nation’s commitment to investing in the future of our people through education from the earliest years. Since its initial signing, the Cherokee Nation has made great progress in improving its early childhood education facilities and services, and we look forward to the day all of our Head Start programs are in new state-of-the-art facilities.”
The amendment and expansion of the 2021 law was signed after the Council of the Cherokee Nation recently approved Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner’s proposal to double the tribe’s investment in Head Start construction from $40 million to $80 million to replace or rehabilitate all of the tribe's Head Start centers with new, state-of-the-art facilities.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner noted the positive impacts of the act in recent years and the importance of the ongoing investments.
“This act not only makes building state of the art early childhood education facilities possible, it sends a message to the Cherokee people, and the world, that Cherokee Nation is committed to the great cause of early childhood education and to our shared future,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “This reauthorization and our increased investment in facilities ensure we can build upon that success in the years ahead, providing our children with the best possible early learning environments.”
The Early Head Start in Nowata, the venue for Monday’s signing ceremony, is a $7.3 million, 9,300 square-foot facility that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024. The facility serves as an example of the quality of construction and design that will be seen at the Cherokee Nation’s other Head Start locations across the reservation.
“What better way to invest in the Cherokee Nation’s future than by investing in our children? I think that’s what it’s all about, and I’m proud to say that our Council is in 110% when it comes to this initiative,” Speaker of the Council Mike Shambaugh said. “We could not be happier to support the signing of this act.”
As set forth in the original law, Cherokee Nation will replace all of its Head Start facilities, which serve the following communities:
- Tahlequah
- Jay
- Stilwell (combining two facilities in that area)
- Salina
- Pryor / MidAmerica Industrial Park (co-located with a new Child Development Center)
- Nowata
- Kenwood (located within the Woody Hair Community Center)
When first passed in 2021, the Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act also established a task force to study childcare needs across the tribe’s reservation. The task force identified gaps in various communities where childcare is limited, and the Cherokee Nation helped fill one of those gaps by investing $30 million in a childcare center in Catoosa to serve the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino work force.
Chief Hoskin also called for the reconvening the childcare task force. The task force, under the direction of First Lady January Hoskin, Chief of Staff Corey Bunch and Secretary of State Shella Bowlin, will resume studying the childcare needs of the tribe’s work force and issue a report with its findings.
“I’ve asked First Lady January Hoskin, Chief of Staff Corey Bunch and Secretary of State Shella Bowlin to reconvene the Cherokee Nation Child Care Task Force to look at two areas of interest,” said Chief Hoskin. “First, what childcare gaps exist for members of the Cherokee Nation workforce and the workforce of our family of companies and other entities and how can we help fill those gaps? Second, the new law authorizes an administrative consolidation of Head Start and our Child Development Center programs, but should we proceed and will a consolidation help us on our mission to provide a safe, loving and intellectually nurturing environment for the Cherokee children in our care.”
In addition to the Head Start construction projects, the Cherokee Nation is also building a new Child Development Center in Sallisaw, upgrading the Child Development Center in Stilwell, and constructing a new facility in Pryor that combines Head Start and Child Development Center services.
“From replacing all of our Head Start facilities to adding new Child Development Centers to our robust childcare subsidy program, Cherokee Nation does a great deal to meet childcare needs of the Cherokee people,” said Chief Hoskin. “However, we cannot be content with where we are, we must remain committed to improving and expanding early childhood education and childcare services across the reservation.”
The Cherokee Nation Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act is named in honor of Head Start Director Verna Thompson, who has worked for the Cherokee Nation and in early childhood education for 40 years.
“I want to say thank you to Chief Hoskin and his administration, the Council members, the education administration, and the Chief of Staff. They are all tremendous supporters of Head Start,” Thompson said. “I can’t think of anything better than to celebrate my 40th year here with all of the facilities plans and all of the wonderful work I’ve had the privilege to do with such an awesome team.”
Cherokee Nation currently serves over 900 children through its Head Start programs, which were first started in 1978. Cherokee Nation’s Head Start students range from as young as six weeks to preschool age. They are taught cognitive, language, motor and social skills as part of the tribe’s Head Start programs.
Across the country, federal Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to more than 1 million children each year.