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 low-income families from ages birth to 5. The Head Start program is operated by local non-profit organizations in almost every county in the country.

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 488 preschool age children and their families and 124 infant, toddlers and pregnant women.

 LKLP Head Start Program Annual Report 2021-2022

Annual Report available upon request. Please contact Justin Collett at (606) 400-6227.

 LKLP Head Start Program Ongoing Goals

LKLP Head Start/Early Head Start Goals 2020-2025

PROGRAM GOAL 1:  LKLP Head Start will provide learning activities that will enable all children to grow developmentally to become school ready.

OBJECTIVE 1:  Quality learning activities will be planned weekly to foster children’s language and literacy skills.

OBJECTIVE 2:  Classrooms will integrate mathematical skills throughout the day in daily routines.

OBJECTIVE 3:  Quality learning activities will be planned and implemented in fine and gross motor skills

 

PROGRAM GOAL 2:  LKLP Head Start will ensure that all children will complete health and nutritional screenings and have quality follow up.

OBJECTIVE 1: The program will implement quality follow-up to any failed or missed screenings.

OBJECTIVE 2:   To improve family involvement in health and nutritional services.

 

PROGRAM GOAL 3:  The program will increase ongoing monitoring of all program services.

OBJECTIVE 1:  LKLP Head Start will increase recruitment efforts to meet required enrollment each program year.

OBJECTIVE 2:  Staff turnover rate will decrease each year.

OBJECTIVE 3:  Program evaluation scores will increase each year.

OBJECTIVE 4:   Program CLASS scores will increase each year meeting the quality threshold.

 

PROGRAM GOAL 4:  LKLP Head Start program will work with staff, families, and children to provide high-quality family engagement activities that promote Relationship based Competencies, Parent, Family, Community, Engagement activities, and Fatherhood Engagement

OBJECTIVE 1:  LKLP Head Start staff will apply Relationship-Based Competencies to Build and Support family engagement while improving professional development skills.

OBJECTIVE 2:  LKLP Head Start staff and families will work in collaborating and implementing the PFCE outcomes.

OBJECTIVE 3:  LKLP Head Start staff will collaborate with families to build partnerships to support Fatherhood Engagement

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 along with proper hand washing. 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 facility.

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 and maintain the certificate is being up to date.

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. Head Start uses creative curriculum in its daily planning to meet the needs of all children. Head Start works together with the family to set specific goals for the children that are both attainable and challenging for each child individually.  

Disability Services

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.

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:

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 Engagement

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 on the winter weather we can only give general guidelines for the first part of the school year. They are as follows:

(2022-2023)
August 1-18 — Closed for Training
August 22 —  First Day for Children
August 26 —  Center Closed Staff Work Day
August 12, 19 —  Center Closed
September 2, 16 —  Center Closed
September 5 — Labor Day Holiday
September 9, 15, 23, 30 — Center Closed Staff Work Day (15th Duration sites open with children)
October 7,21, 28 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day
October 14 —  Centers Closed
November 4, 10, 18 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day
November 11 — Veterans Day
November 23 —  Centers Closed
November 24-25 —  Thanksgiving Holiday
December 2, 16 —  Centers Closed Staff Work Day
December 9, 19-22, 27-29 —  Closed
December 15 — Last day before Christmas Holiday
December — 23, 26, 30 Holiday
January 2 — New Year's Holiday
January 3 —  First Day Back after Holidays
January 6, 12, 20 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day (12th Duration sites open with children)
January 13, 27 —  Center Closed
January 16 — Martin Luther King's Birthday (observed)
February 2, 10, 21, 24 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day (2, 21" Duration sites open with children)
February 3, 17 — Centers Closed
February 20 — Presidents Day
March 15-17 — Closed for Training
March 2, 10, 24 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day (Duration sites open with children)
March 2 — Duration sites open with children
March 3,31 —  Centers Closed
April 7 —  Good Friday (observed Holiday)
April 3, 10-14, 27, 28 — Centers Closed (6,27 Duration sites open with children)
May 5, 12, 18 — Centers Closed Staff Work Day
May 17 —  Last Day School (pending missed days)

We will also have several training 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 month's public schools are canceled due to snow or flooding, etc... The center will be closed. Listen to your local radio station for the closing announcements. Each county will follow the local board of education schedule for inclement weather. Also keep in mind if a substantial community outbreak occurs in any of our service areas, all centers will be closed until it is safe to open. We will follow CDC and State Guidelines in measures to keep your child safe. Staff will inform you of the changes.
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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:

• • 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 2019-2020 as they appeared in the Federal Registry.

    

FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH MORE THAN 8 PERSONS, ADD $4,720 FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON

 

Information Memorandums (IM's):

• • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_im_005_091815.html
  • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_im_004_091815.html
  • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_ime_003.html
  • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_im_002_031215.html
  • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/im/2015/resour_ime_001_012715.html

Program Instructions (PI's):

• • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/pi/2015/resour_pri_001_061615.html

 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:

Head Start Pre-Registration Application