Wauseon Head Start is looking for a new home after the Fulton County Board of Developmental Disabilities said it needs the current building for other purposes, WTVG reported. The program serves dozens of children and is operated by the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission, which wants to keep it in Wauseon.
NOCAC hopes to settle on a site by May 2027 or earlier. That timeline, according to the report, would leave room for renovations and other work before the next school year. Anna Cifranic, NOCAC’s assistant director of child development, said the program needs space for two classrooms of 700 square feet. She said it is licensed under daycare rules and must comply with them, and that it needs 1,500 square feet outdoors, preferably fenced. Any location or agreement would require approval.
The program also helps families access health, nutrition, mental health, disability and family-support resources. The report said keeping the program in Wauseon would reduce travel for parents including Peyton Dickman and make attendance easier for her daughter, Nova. Dickman said the community would feel the loss if the program were not available.
NOCAC is asking residents to suggest sites or property owners. Leads and partnership inquiries can go to Cifranic at 419-784-5136, ext. 1126, or acifranic@nocac.org.