A proposal was requested by Governor Bill Graves to investigate the expansion of Early Head Start programs using State funds. The proposed budget for this program is $5 million to serve young children (birth to age 3) and their families. Approximately 600 children will be served under the State proposal. Funds will be used to expand current Early Head Start programs in Kansas (Kansas City, Wichita and Salina) and to add additional new Early Head Start programs. Plans are that, by January 1999, three hundred families will be receiving services. New Early Head Start programs will be given a year to establish for setting up, writing contracts and providing training.

Each program that is selected will be required to work in collaboration with the child care programs in their communities. Collaboration will exist between child care centers, home providers, Parents as Teachers, Healthy Families, Part C and other entities that provide early care and education to young children. Early Head Start programs will contract with child care centers and home providers, new child care facilities will not be opened unless care does not exist for infants and toddlers. These contracted facilities will have to meet the following requirements: they must be licensed, staff providing direct care to the children will be required to earn their Child Development Accreditation (CDA), and they will have to insure that they will meet the Head Start Performance Standards. In exchange, child care programs will be receiving training, technical services, support and assistance in developing a quality program by the Early Head Start. Early Head Start will provide assistance to all children in a class or home, not just those enrolled in Early Head Start. All families enrolled in the child care center would receive the comprehensive services outlined in the Head Start Performance Standards (education, parent involvement, social services, health disabilities, mental health and nutrition).

This initiative will be a total collaborative project in each community. This program will work closely with SRS, Department of Education (Parents as Teachers and Early Childhood Special Education), Health and Environment (Child Care Licensing, Maternal Health, Infant and Toddler and immunizations). In addition, Early Head Start programs will be required to work with community programs such as their local Health Departments, Extension Offices, SRS and mental health agencies. Benefits of this program will be that more low-income children and families will receive interventions that will assist them in the education of their children and themselves.

Programs interested in the State Early Head Start funded programs will be required to submit a competitive grant that will mirror the Federal Early Head Start Request for Proposal (RFP) and will be due June 6, 1998. State and Federal personnel will work together to award the initial grants and provide monitoring programs. The Regional Head Start office in Kansas City has made the commitment to assist the establishment of the Early Head Start programs.

Without the collaboration of child care providers; this program will not succeed. Governor Graves believes that through a united effort, Kansas will be able to provide quality services to all children.

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Back to the Spring 1998 Newsletter