Date: February 1, 2006
To: Newspapers in Lake & Mendocino County
From: Dianne E. Lawrence
Re: Press Release
For: Immediate release
 

HEAD START SERVES EVERYONE

Head Start (HS) is a federally funded program aimed at families with children aged 3 – 5. It has a companion program, Early Head Start (EHS) that serves families with children from birth – 3. The funding is focused primarily on very low-income families but the program has room for 10% of students who are over the income levels but who have special needs, such as children with disabilities. North Coast Opportunities provides Head Start services in both Lake and Mendocino Counties; it provides Early Head Start only in Mendocino County. HS/EHS has been a program of NCO for 37 years, and has grown from a program serving 163 students to the current enrollment of 420. Corrine Lindgren is the Program Director and has served in that position for more than 17 years. Ms. Lindgren has hired and maintained a qualified and creative staff of 150 to provide the services and to complete the exhaustive accounting and reporting the federal program requires; HS/EHS also receives support from NCO’s Administrative Services. HS/EHS services are provided within a very broad and specific framework. It requires continual monitoring of progress of each individual student as well as progress of the program as a whole. HS/EHS provides on-going education and training for their staff in order to provide for continuous improvement of the program and to insure the professionalism of its staff.

Eligibility for these programs is based on two primary factors: low income status, and families with children ages birth to 5. Services are developed and focused on the entire family unit, not just the child. Educators have known for a long time that early learning is most effective when the entire family can have the support it needs to sustain the children’s learning activities. HS/EHS also have a parent-based Advisory Council, named the Program Policy Council (PPC). PPC is composed of representatives of each of the 14 HS/EHS sites and community representatives who have a demonstrated interest in early childhood education. Unlike many programs with an Advisory Council, HS/EHS requires full participation of the PPC in the governance of the HS/EHS program. They have a direct, formal relationship with the NCO Governing Board; many program-specific decisions must be agreed on between the PPC and the NCO Governing Board. A number of NCO board members are former PPC members.

HS/EHS has an enriched age-appropriate curriculum that encourages the acquisition of academic development, but also provides opportunities for nutritional support, medical and dental support, mental health services, disability services, and social services where needed. Each student’s family creates a plan for themselves with the help of HS/EHS professional staff. Training and educational opportunities for parents and other care givers is also provided, as are referrals to other service agencies.

Everyone in the community benefits from the HS/EHS programs. As families within our community are better able to sustain themselves, they become stronger community citizens. HS/EHS has a rich history of success stories. There are stories when a family in seemingly desperate financial circumstances is able to gain new confidence and strength to move out of poverty and into a more financially stable life.

In preparing to write this story I had occasion to talk with a former Head Start (HS) parent, Terri Davis. Her story is very special, and yet it is one that happens many times in the HS program. Terri had been homeless, but had just moved out of a shed into her own apartment. She wanted to go to school, but the circumstances were still in the waiting mode. She had a friend whose grandchild was receiving pre-school services for kids with special needs; Terri wondered if her son would qualify for these services that were provided without cost to the parent. She pursued the information only to find out that her son did not qualify, but the teacher referred her to the NCO Head Start program in Willits. The family was enrolled first in the home-based program, which means that a trained teacher makes weekly visits to the child’s home and brings ideas, strategies, and suggestions for working to help each child develop the capacity to be a good learner in accordance with the child’s developmental status. Terri loved the program, despite some early trepidation to have this virtual stranger coming into her home so frequently. The fear subsided, and a friendship bloomed which continues to this day. Terri reports that “I felt rich having this private tutor come to my home each week” Her son enjoyed the learning activities, but he especially loved the monthly social events where children and parents alike get together. When the HS home-based program began, Terri also began attending Mendocino Community College.

A year later, Terri enrolled her son in a site-based program, where he had the opportunity to learn and play with other children in an enriched and supportive atmosphere. The HS program also provides all the ancillary services that help a child be more ready for academic learning, and it also helps parents move along in their own lives as well. In addition to on-going support from the program staff, Terri was able to make good connections with other families and share transportation with another single parent.

Terri graduated from Mendocino College in 1993 with an A.A. degree in Psychology and also began working for HS. Her first position was as a Family Support Specialist, which at the time was a pilot project. She and another employee actually implemented that first program which still operates today as the Social Services branch of HS. She describes this time as bringing her a sense of pride because she could help someone else.

She ended her work at HS in July 1990 and in August1999 enrolled in the B.A. program at Sonoma State. In 2000 Terri began working part-time for Mendocino Office of Education. She has continued to work at MCOE, in a variety and progressively responsible positions.

During this time she managed to purchase her own home, totally on her own, which is no small accomplishment for a single mother who a few years ago had actually been homeless!

Now Terri is returning to Sonoma State to earn her M.A. degree so that she can continue to grow and learn in her profession. Terri is active in a number of education programs throughout Mendocino County, and is a well respected member of the community of caring individuals who work with kids. I asked her what she would like to say to other single mothers who may find themselves in similar positions. Her answer displays what a fine young woman she is: “Change happens a teaspoonful at a time. You may not see the progress until you look back and see the mountain you have created!”

That wise comment is a perfect summary of what the HS/EHS program is all about: building a mountain of positive changes for children and families, one teaspoon at a time.