February 5th will mark a new chapter for local nonprofit WNCSource as they begin offering
a Developmental Day program for special needs preschool children and their families.
• This comes after Helping Hand Developmental Center announced it was closing its doors
after 55 years of serving Henderson County due to funding shortfalls.
• WNCSource was able to hire several former Helping Hand staff and will contract with
Henderson County Public Schools to provide the year-round Developmental Day program
at the Tebeau Children’s Center in Hendersonville.
• The first classroom will open Monday, February 5 and serve up to 18 children between the
ages of 3 and 5 years old with a focus on social development, early learning and
kindergarten readiness.
WNCSource, a leading provider of Head Start, Early Head Start and NC Pre-K programs will soon
add a Developmental Day program to its list of services in Henderson County. The
Hendersonville-based nonprofit worked closely with Henderson County Public Schools to sustain
early childhood education programs for special needs and typically developing children. The
Helping Hand Developmental Center had provided those services for over 55 years for the school
system. However, ongoing funding shortfalls, together with difficulty in finding qualified staff had
put the agency into deep financial stress forcing it to close.
Although WNCSource has suffered similar staffing challenges and financial strain during and after
the pandemic, it agreed to take over the program and has worked closely with Henderson County
Public Schools and Helping Hand to transition its children, families and staff. WNCSource Head
Start and NC Pre-K Program Manager Amy Smith exclaimed “This is a very dedicated group of
educators and staff who genuinely love and care about these children. We are very fortunate to
have them join our staff and continue this important work!”
WNCSource will open one Developmental Day classroom on February 5, 2024 at the Tebeau
Children’s Center in Hendersonville. The class of 18 will consist of 9 special needs and 9 typically
developing students between the ages of 3 to 5 years old. The curriculum will focus on social
development, early learning and kindergarten readiness and operate year round.