The new masking and vaccine requirements are now eroding local control, creating confusion among staff and parents, and adding new administrative burdens to already over-taxed educators. The $185 million-dollar annual investment made into Kentucky’s Head Start programs is paying off. After operating for almost two years with these flexibilities, Head Start programs in Kentucky have hit their stride with increasing enrollment, lowering COVID-19 infections tied to Head Start classrooms and creating, due to the pandemic, many new and successful strategies to deploy early childhood education. Our federal partners placed immense trust in local programs to act autonomously, albeit within a wide set of performance and safety standards. During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Head Start programs were afforded great latitude and flexibility to create and enforce safety standards that reflected the reality of the pandemic on the ground and the unique needs of communities. If left unchanged, programs anticipate that 26 percent of Kentucky’s Head Start children and families will lose services after January due to staff shortages and the need to close classrooms.Ģ) One-size-fits-all does not work. Staffing levels have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels and Kentucky’s Head Start programs currently report staffing to be 80 to 85 percent of that needed for full operations.Ī recent study conducted by the Kentucky Head Start Association (KHSA) indicated that the new vaccine requirement and its Janudeadline will likely contribute to additional resignations and terminations with Head Start programs expecting to lose an additional 20 to 30 percent of their already depleted staff. As a result, programs lost staff to other job opportunities or to stay home with their own children. During much of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Kentucky’s Head Start centers were closed and services moved to virtual/home-based learning. However, the unintended real-world consequences end up being harmful to the mission of Head Start and will have negative impacts on some of Kentucky’s most vulnerable populations.ġ) Head Start programs are understaffed and may have to shutter. The overall goal of these new mandates is laudable – protecting children, staff, families, and communities. These new directives have been met with confusion and frustration from Kentucky’s 28 Head Start grantees which operate over 1,100 Head Start classrooms serving nearly 18,000 children throughout the Commonwealth. Head Start staff provides activities and experiences to expand young children’s knowledge and understanding of the importance of establishing good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle.Late last month, the Office of Head Start in Washington, DC issued new requirements to all Head Start programs across the country requiring mandatory masking for individuals two years of age or older, as well as requiring COVID-19 vaccines for all Head Start staff, partners, certain contractors, and volunteers. Menus are planned to broaden young children’s experiences for trying new foods such as foods from diverse cultures. Head Start provides breakfast, lunch and a snack daily to all children enrolled in the program at no cost. Head Start participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which is a federal agency that provides reimbursement to sponsors for providing meal service to participants enrolled. Head Start provides parents with trainings and information pertaining to nutrition and local resources such as Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Middle Kentucky Head Start’s child nutrition services assist families in meeting each child’s nutritional needs by establishing good eating habits that nurture healthy development and promote life-long well-being.
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