NeighborImpact celebrates Head Start Awareness Month
It was October 22, 1982 when President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed October as Head Start Awareness Month. NeighborImpact has provided Head Start programing to underserved families in Central Oregon for 18 years, and continues to expand those programs annually.
NeighborImpact’s Head Start is a comprehensive early education program for children from at-risk backgrounds from birth to age 5. From early math and reading skills to confidence and resilience, the program helps children build the abilities they need to be successful in school and life. Each Head Start program engages parents as partners with their child’s teacher to instill confidence and strengthen relationships between children and their caregivers.
Much more than simply child care, NeighborImpact’s Head Start programs ensure children receive vision, hearing, dental and other health screenings and referrals; require degrees and credentials for teaching staff; and provide professional development and coaching for teachers. Head Start students are more likely to graduate high school, attend college and receive a post-secondary degree, license or certification.
During the 2018/19 school year, NeighborImpact provided Head Start and Early Head Start programing to 538 economically disadvantaged children in Central Oregon. Ninety-eight percent of those children and their families were connected to healthcare professionals and over 88% were found to be ready for kindergarten, both academically and developmentally, by graduation from the program.
NeighborImpact has expanded its program to include seven full-day classrooms, where students are more likely to score at or above the national average in examinations of literacy, math and language development as compared to part-day students.
The organization also recently opened a new facility which serve as home to the Early Head Start socialization center, where infants improve an important part of their developmental skills by playing and socializing with other children under the guidance and supervision of trained staff.
NeighborImpact plans to continue expanding its Head Start and Early Head start programs throughout Central Oregon over the next several years.
To learn more about NeighborImpact’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs, visit NeighborImpact.org/get-help/head-start/. NeighborImpact is a 21 Cares for Kids partner.
About NeighborImpact: Since 1985, NeighborImpact has been a leader in developing solutions and bringing resources to Crook, Jefferson, Deschutes County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The agency offers a diversity of services meeting basic human needs for food and shelter, while enriching people’s lives by providing access to increased education, skills, and hope for the future. NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit organization that receives federal, state and local grants, foundation grants and donations from individuals and businesses in our community. To learn more about NeighborImpact please visit www.neighborimpact.org.
KTVZ 2019
