FRANKLIN—The Children’s Center in Franklin will create 95 jobs with its $2.3 million contract to administer the Head Start program in Franklin, Suffolk, Smithfield and Courtland.

“It’s all moving very fast,” said Rachel Beale, human resource manager for the center, which also provides childcare and early intervention and therapy services for young children with development delays or disabilities.

The hope is to hire all of the full- and part-time employees by September, boosting the center’s workforce to 240. A job fair will be held 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the Regional Workforce Development Center at Paul D. Camp Community College.

“I think it’s obviously a great boost for our area,” said Teresa Beale, executive director for the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Children’s Center has been such an important part of our community for so many years. To see them grow time after time I think is a testament to what a great job they do with these children.”

“It’s great to have a new business come in, but it’s just as exciting to see one of our existing businesses grow,” Beale added.

The Franklin non-profit agency last week announced it received the grant to provide the Head Start program to 300 children. Head Start serves 3- to 5-year-olds from low-income families with free educational, health, nutritional, social and other services.

A child from a family of four with an income of less than $23,050 would qualify. For a family of six, the highest income can be $30,970.

Some of the positions that need to be filled for the Head Start program and their pay include purchasing analyst $17,987 to $29,855, early childhood mentor $26,035 to $40,534, transportation coordinator $22,911 to $37,058, administrative professional, $15,080 to $23,003, custodians $15,621 to $23,162, Head Start teacher $16,662 to $27,794, and bus drivers, bus monitors and cooks, $15,080 to $22,003.

Current Head Start employees and “highly qualified members of the community,” are encouraged to apply, Rachel Beale said.

“We’re a quality program here so we are looking for good credentials,” she said. “Our goal is to provide quality services to our children and families with highly qualified employees.”

More positions are advertised on the website www.childrenscenterva.com.