September 2024 | Volume 35; Issue 13

September was the last month of the agency fiscal year. Our fiscal staff and program directors have been busy monitoring year-end expenditures and preparing for FY’25 contracts. The auditors were in Remsen to look at internal control and program compliance. The selected programs for this year’s audit are WIC and Head Start/Early Head Start. The auditors will return in December and will focus on the financial side of the operations.

The federal fiscal year also ended on September 30th. Approximately 70% of the funding Mid-Sioux receives begins at the federal level and is funneled through state funding sources. Congress is currently working on a Continuing Resolution to extend funding until December 20th in order to avoid a shutdown.

Our LiHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and Outreach staff have been participating in trainings for two new databases set to launch on October 1st . Implementing new systems can present challenges, and we anticipate that the application process may take longer during the initial months. Thank you to our staff and clients for their patience during this transition.

As the new school year begins, our Head Start staff are excited to welcome back our families and children! They do a great job of creating an engaging learning environment filled with fun and discovery for our students! A big thank you to all our Head Start staff!

I hope everyone enjoys the start of the fall season and I wish all the farmers a safe and successful harvest!

Respectfully,

Cindy Harpenau

Executive Director

Quick Links

Employee Anniversaries

WIC Clinics

Mid-Sioux Locations

Mid-Sioux Board of Directors

Click the ICAA Logo above to find out what's happening in statewide Community Action.

HUMAN RESOURCES

FaDSS Openings:

Family Development & Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS) Specialist

Remsen

Administrative Openings:

Accounting/Payroll Specialist

Remsen

Head Start Openings:

Early Childhood Program Coach

Le Mars, Head Start

Child Care Collaborative of Iowa Openings:

Financial Management Coach

(Northeast Iowa)

Remote/Telecommute

*Bilingual Preferred

Financial Management Coach

(Southeast Iowa)

Remote/Telecommute

*Bilingual Preferred

Child Care Resource & Referral Openings:

Child Care Consultant

(Calhoun, Humboldt, Wright & Webster Counties)

Hybrid/Remote

SIOUX COUNTY OUTREACH

Hello from the Sioux County Outreach Office!

Our summer has been a busy one! It began with a massive flood that covered a majority of Iowa not to mention several of the towns in our counties. Governor Reynolds declared a disaster for Sioux & Lyon County in June. FEMA assistance was started due to the extreme nature of the flood. As Outreach staff, we are designated as Disaster Case Advocates. This means we form a partnership between us and the impacted household. We walk with them through the disaster process until they are placed in a new home or their home is renovated. We discover what unmet needs the family has, set up a recovery plan and find resources to help our clients. This can last up to 18 months.  I have also been asked to be on a Long-Term Flood Recovery Committee that covers Sioux and Lyon counties to help combine resources for each to use. I believe this will be a great assistance for all of those struggling with unmet needs. More will be shared about this in the coming weeks. It will continue to keep us very busy.   

We just finished up our Back-to-School program. We were able to give out 88 backpacks and school supplies to income eligible children in grades K-8. Funding for the backpacks and supplies were donated from local businesses and individuals. We are very thankful for the people and businesses of Sioux County who are so giving and supportive of our programs.

We are all learning new CSBG and state Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LiHEAP) computer systems. Hopefully, all will go well since LiHEAP season is quickly approaching. We will begin sending out letters to the elderly and disabled toward the end of September so they can begin applying the first of October. All others can apply beginning November 1. The process may be a bit slower this year with our two new computer systems and getting everyone’s information entered.

Beginning in October, we will also be sending out letters for families to sign up for Christmas gifts and holiday meals. We will be contacting businesses and organizations to help either monetarily or with Christmas gifts for both of these programs. Families are always so excited to sign up for these and to receive this additional assistance for their family.



If you or someone you know is interested in donating to any of our programs or need any assistance, please have them contact our Sioux County office at 712-722-3611.

Dashboards

Welcome to Mid-Sioux's Dashboards!

Stakeholders can now dive into our intuitive program dashboards for comprehensive data and insightful analysis. Let us guide you through the key trends and insights of our services.