Main Head Start

LKLP Head Start

Our Mission

LKLP Head Start, a comprehensive child development program, seeks to enrich the lives of our families and strengthen self-sufficiency by giving roots and wings to our children:

Roots so they have a sense of self
Wings so they can follow their dreams

About Head Start

Serving: Leslie, Knott, Letcher and Perry Counties

The LKLP Head Start program is a federally-funded program for preschool children from low-income families. The Head Start program is operated by local non-profit organizations in almost every county in the country.

Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities. They also receive free medical and dental care, have healthy meals and snacks. They enjoy playing in a safe indoor and outdoor setting.

Head Start helps all children succeed. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities. Most children in Head Start are between the ages of three and five years old. Services are also available to infants and toddlers at selected sites.

The LKLP Head Start program is funded to serve 618 preschool age children and their families and 40 infant, toddlers and pregnant women.

LKLP Head Start Program Annual Report 2010-2011

Please click here to view our most recent Annual Report.

LKLP Head Start Program Ongoing Goals

To increase the awareness of drug abuse throughout the community as well as continuing to provide supports for families and children.
To bridge Head Start families to community groups through advocacy and empowerment.
To continue improving math and literacy skills in the classroom.
To continue secondary education and staff professional development with emphasis on credentials for teaching staff and family development assistants meeting requirements of Performance Standards.
To improve and strengthen appropriate and timely follow-up on referrals and communication.
To continue working with local dentists and the UK Center for Rural Health to improve awareness and care of teeth.
To increase community awareness of Head Start's positive influence using communication tactics; including present and future economic impact.
To improve quality, maintenance and safety of program vehicles.
To strive for effective communication between the central office and the center staff.
To strengthen and broaden services to grandparents rearing grandchildren.

LKLP Head Start Program Goals 2011-2012

To provide more assistance to incarcerated family members.
To enhance services to homeless children and families with special needs.
To provide parenting training/classes to staff and parent groups by implementing the Incredible Years.
To continue efforts on improving literacy and numeracy skills in conjunction with public schools.
To increase the awareness and the effects of childhood obesity.
To improve overally attendance of children and staff; striving to maintain at least 90% attendance in the Head Start/Early Head Start Program.

Main Head Start

Head Start offers a variety of services to help children succeed and prepare for their entry into elementary. Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities. They receive free medical and dental care, have healthy meals and snacks. They also enjoy playing in a safe indoor and outdoor setting.

Head Start Health & Development

Each child enrolled into Head Start will receive a medical, dental and eye examination. We will assist parents in arranging for and completing any needed follow-up to the examinations. Parents are urged to accompany their child on the initial visit to the doctor or dentist.

In addition, parents should be encouraged to prepare their children for health and developmental procedures, in order to increase their children's comfort levels, reduce their fears and anxieties and optimize children's performance and the validity of the procedures.

Children are taught good health and safety habits. Brushing teeth is part of the daily routine at each center. Self-esteem and social skills are supported throughout each day. Responsibilities as part of a group and the ability to express feelings are important parts of every activity.

In case of medical emergency, parents will be informed promptly and their child will be taken to the nearest medical help.

We must have each child's immunization certificate prior to enrollment and the beginning of class. Parents must bring a copy of the immunization certificate that we can keep.

A sick child should be kept home for their sake and the sake of the other children. This goes for children of the Head Start staff also. If a child comes to the center and is ill we will contact the parents. We will keep the child away from the other children to avoid exposing the children to a contagious condition.

Health Services

The Health Services Area seeks to improve the Head Start child's present health conditions. Through health services, LKLP Head Start supports parents, in playing the role in maintaining the health and condition of their children, and works to ensure the children's well-being.

Nutrition Services

The Nutrition Area keeps the children healthy by providing one half to two thirds of their daily nutritional requirements. Preschool children are provided breakfast, lunch and a snack. In addition to breakfast and lunch, infants and toddlers are provided both a morning and afternoon snack. Nutrition education is part of LKLP Head Start's curriculum.

Mental Health Services

The area of Mental Health focuses on the prevention, identification, referral and treatment. Through a variety of activities designed to help children, families and staff learn to practice skills that help them develop and maintain healthy habits, active involvement in Head Start promotes positive outlook, wellness and flexibility.

Education and Early Childhood Development

Education and Early Childhood Development Services provide a wide variety of experiences that encourage the development of language skills, physical strength and coordination, problem solving, self-confidence, appreciation of family, self and others. These experiences are appropriate for the children's age and individual interests. Head Start does its very best to provide an atmosphere that encourages the children to be self-motivated to learn because it brings joy.

Disability Services

Head Start Parent Involvement

Parents are an important part of the Head Start Program. Parents may volunteer at the center and serve on the committees. LKLP Head Start offers parent education to all Head Start families. Special programs are available to each center group. We will also be glad to help parents enroll for their General Education Diploma (GED).

Involvement Services Provide:

1. Workshops and Training Sessions for Parents.

2. Counseling

3. Opportunities to be involved in program activities (volunteering)

4. Monthly Parent Committee Meetings

5. Opportunities to make decisions about program operations (Policy Council). Contact the Head Start Director on any ideas you may have about improving program operations.

6. Self-enhancement, Training, Field Trips, Special Activities.

7. Opportunity to apply for Kentucky Head Start Association.

8. Opportunity to apply for Kentucky Head Start Association Parent Scholarship.

9. Opportunities to be part of a child's education.

Each center will choose a parent facilitator who, with a staff facilitator, will set up parent support activities. They will plan sessions, secure trainers, obtain materials and report the training. In this way, the role of parents in decision-making is supported according to each group's individual needs.

Parent committees provide parents the opportunity to participate in activities that address their interests and needs and that support the education and healthy development of their child.

The Parent Activity Fund is money set aside to provide parents with opportunities and experiences in planning, developing and implementing projects initiated by them. The Parent Activity Fund can be used to or as:

1. Expenditures for projected related purposes.

2. Join parents up for the Kentucky Head Start Association.

3. Go to plays at Hazard and the Appalshop in Whitesburg for cultural enrichment.

4. Purchase supplies for parent workshops such as videos and materials.

5. Field trips to museums, zoos and other places for parents to experience with their children.

6. Pay for CPR, First Aid Training for parents.

7. Assist in a community project that will benefit their community.

To receive Head Start funds we must provide a 20% local match. So, it is vital that we have parents volunteer at the Head Start Centers. You will have fun and you will help Head Start to stay in the area.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact your Head Start Center or the Central Office.

The above list are suggestions that must be voted on at the Parent Committee meeting. Parents are encouraged to submit their own ideas.

Head Start Family & Community Partnerships

Family Services

The Family Services Area works with families in goal setting through family partnership agreement process, provides families with resource information, how to access community services, and has the responsibility of locating, identifying and maintaining funded enrollment as long as they qualify. The Family Service Assistance and Associate Teacher for Infant/Toddler serve as a link between the home and the school.

Community Partnerships

Head Start serves children and families in their communities and recognizes that many other agencies and groups work toward the same goals with the same families. Through strong community partnerships, Head Start fosters collaboration, quality services and the development of a community that shares responsibilities for children and families.

Parent Involvement Services

In the Parent Involvement Area, Head Start recognizes parents as the prime educator of and nurturer of their child and LKLP Head Start makes every effort to include the parents in the decision making process. We count on parent volunteers to help us meet our local share of the grant that we receive.

PARENTS HELP MAKE HEAD START TERRIFIC!!!

Head Start Calendar

Since many days will depend upon the winter weather we can only give general guidelines for the first part of the school year.

They are as follows:

            School Calendar Year 2011 - 2012

Aug 15, 16, 17                            Parent/Child Transition

Aug 18                                       First Full Day of School

Sept 5                                        Labor Day Holiday

Nov 24, 25                                  Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 16                                       Last day before Christmas Holiday

Jan 3                                         Return to School

Jan 16                                       Martin Luther King Holiday

May 28                                      Memorial Day

July 2,3,4,5,6                             HOLIDAY

We will also have several In-Service/Work Days on which there will be no school - your child's teacher will notify you when these days are.

If during the winter and spring months public schools are canceled due to snow or flooding, the buses will not run. To accommodate parents who work or are in school, arrangements can be made for the center to be open if the parent provides transportation. Listen to your local radio station for the closing announcements.

Head Start Eligibility

LKLP Head Start is funded to serve children ages three (3) through five (5). These children are located at 20 centers in four counties - Leslie, Knott, Letcher and Perry. In Early Head Start we are funded to serve 40 children ages 0-3 in Letcher and Knott Counties. The children are selected through eligibility requirements regardless of race, creed, color or handicap conditions.

To enroll a child in Head Start parent's must have the following:

Current Verification of Income
Child's Birth Certificate
Current Immunization Record (shot record)
Medicaid Number (if applicable)

Services provided by the management area are:

Supervise and monitor TOTAL program operations
Preparation of Head Start Grant Package & Budget
Ensure safe facilities, proper insurance, etc.
Provide public relations for the program
Recruitment and enrollment
Policy Council
Personnel, Human Resources
Problem Solving - please call at once if you have a problem - don't wait until it is a crisis.

Transportation

Below are the income guidelines for 2010-2011 as they appeared in the Federal Registry.

Size of Family Unit

Poverty Guidelines

1

$10,890

2

$14,710

3

$18,530

4

$22,350

5

$26,170

6

$29,990

7

$33,810

8

$37,630

For each additional person add $3,820

Leslie

Knott

Letcher

Perry

Hayes Lewis

606-279-3301

Beaver

606-447-2111

Colson

606-633-9882

Chavies

606-436-4393

Hyden

606-672-3186

Cordia

606-785-0139

Cowan

606-633-0718

Community

606-435-1888

Stinnett

606-374-4574

Emmalena

606-251-3404

Jenkins

606-832-4012

Leslie Early

606-672-3990

W.B. Muncy

606-279-2257

Lakeview

606-642-3690

Mayking

606-633-5043

Little Folk

606-439-3898

Perry Early

606-487-0400

Perkins

606-785-4604

Mt. Heritage

606-633-3376

R.W. Combs

606-476-2151

Central Office

606-642-3317

Pippa Passes

606-368-2407

Viper

606-436-3837

Head Start Pre-Registration Application

If you would like to complete a Head Start Pre-Registration application and submit it electronically, click on the following link: http://www.lklp.org/Programs/MainHeadStart/HeadStartPreApplication/tabid/148/Default.aspx