The St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes new member Council on Rural Service Programs (CORS) as its newest member. CORS, is a non-profit social service agency, runs Early Start and Head Start Programs in nine counties, and runs youth programs – Gateway Youth Program and Achievement Center for Educational success – in two counties.

In early 2017, CORS was awarded a large grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families to expand its Head Start Programs. These expansions included services and a location in St. Marys, Kids Learning Place.

Kids Learning Place is located at 1659 Celina Rd., St. Marys and is now open. The St. Marys location has two new, six hour, full day Head Start classrooms with 40 child slots. Currently, they are full in both classrooms. The facility offers a Home Base Option as well. In the home based open, a home visitor goes to the child’s home for a 90 minute visit each week for instruction and parenting education along with case management.

“The best thing about Kids Learning Place is the experience and services we provide to not only the child, but the entire family,” Cheryl Feathers, Early Childhood Services Coordinator.