Head Start goal is educational boost for children, families

Nevada Daily Mail

With 14 teachers and two family advocates serving up to 87 children, from 6 weeks old to 5 years, the Nevada location for Head Start is working on doing just that, giving those it serves a head start on their education.

The preschool does more than just offer early instructional help though, said Center Director Tera McFarland.

"We're here to serve the whole family," she said during a tour of the facility and a visit with several of the teachers.

As an example of that whole family approach, the center hosts a family enrichment night. During that night, parents are able to pick an education component to learn about. Those topics range from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to car seat safety to meth exposure.

There is also a community day, in which police, fire and housing representatives help with an outreach effort to present their services to the families.

"We support the whole family. If they need a referral to a doctor, we can do that. We also provide hearing, blood pressure, and vision screens.

"We try to be a stepping stone for our parents.

"We want to help families reach their goals," said McFarland.

And those goals often encompass more than just the education of their child. The family advocates and teachers provide help to families, in areas from nutrition to finance to education for the parents, as well as working with the children, she said.

The facility's advocates and teachers also do home visits when needed, to help the family's success. The advocates may also help set up any needed health screenings.

For the students, there's an early Head Start program for those 6 weeks to 3 years, and offerings from a half-day during the school year to a full day year round. The full day runs from 6:30 to 5 Monday through Friday.

Head Start also helps provide transportation to and from school, although weather can be a factor. "There's no guarantee, but we try to provide that," said McFarland.

Some of the children who attend Head Start also attend their "regular" school, getting additional learning opportunities through the dual approach.

"We have a lot of children enrolled here who go to public schools also.

"We work as a team," said McFarland of the Head Start educators' interactions with the family, the children, and the school system.

The keys to the success of the program are several, she noted.

"Our teachers are our core. They've been here awhile. And that's a huge benefit."

Training is provided for the teachers, with an in-service day every month.

"In September, we have four to five in-service days to get ready for the new school year."

"Parent involvement is huge. We encourage parents to get involved in their children's education and in their child's classroom.

"We want and expect parental involvement," she said.

Volunteers are another important key.

Volunteers donate time in the classroom, often as readers, they help in the kitchen, and they help with yard work and building maintenance, "just about anything," said McFarland.

"The volunteers help us fulfill our federal requirement of having that kind of contribution. We have occasional volunteers and we have our regulars."

Nevada is one of 15 Head Starts in the area.

"We work with each of them. They help us and we help them. It's one huge team," said McFarland.

"We're also accredited and licensed by the state, and meet federal guidelines.

"Our assistant teachers have a minimum CDA (child development associate degree). Our lead teachers have at least an associate's degree and are working on their bachelor's."

The entrance guidelines are federally based on income.

"We take proof of income and there is an eligibility grid," said McFarland.

With the Nevada center allotted 40 full-day spots and 47 part-day, it stays pretty much full all the time, she said.

"We're at capacity. We stay full, but we do work off a waiting list."

If anyone has questions about the programs and the center, they can contact Head Start at 417-667-5393.

"We welcome all inquiries," concluded McFarland.