Good nutrition has always been a cornerstone of Head Start, but in March SIUC Head Start took things one step further. All enrolled families had the opportunity to participate in Healthy Choices Equals Healthy Families, a cooking demonstration offered at their center during the month of March. The demonstrations were presented by Toni Kay Wright, a Registered Dietitian and SIUC Head Start’s Health/Nutrition Coordinator.

The 79 parents who participated learned healthy, easy and budget-friendly recipes, how to involve children in the kitchen, the importance of serving a variety of foods, and much more. Parents and children had the opportunity to see a recipe being made, sample the finished product, rate how much they enjoyed it and take home the materials to make it. The feedback from parents was excellent. As one parent said, “I didn’t know eating healthy could taste so good.”

As part of the program, Ms. Wright demonstrated how to cut and prepare a fresh pineapple. Head Start staff were surprised that at every session there were adults that had never tasted fresh pineapple. Many children expressed surprise at how different it tasted, smelled and looked from the canned variety. A fresh pineapple was included in the items the participants took home.

Each participating family received a resource kit that included three family-friendly cook books, meal planners, activities for children and tips for stretching food budgets. In addition, each family received a reusable grocery bag filled with $25 worth of groceries, including items to make several of the recipes featured during the demonstration. Funding provided by the General Mills Foundation Champions for Healthy Kids grant helped support this project and several undergraduate students from SIUC’s Food and Nutrition Program worked as volunteers to carry out the classes.

Eligible families with preschool children who are at least three years old by September 1, 2009 are encouraged to contact SIUC Head Start about our comprehensive pre-kindergarten and family support program. Families with children who will be age three after September may be eligible, if the child receives early intervention, Early Head Start and/or special education services.

Head Start provides free bus transportation for most children and is free for part-day services. Families interested in full-day or full-year options must qualify for child care subsidy through Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R). All applicants will be required to provide verification of the child’s age and household income for the past 12 months.

Stop by or call one of our locations for an enrollment appointment or more information. After May 31, when most Head Start sites are closed for the summer, families interested in applying must call 453-6448 or 997-2216.

Applications for the program year that will begin in August 2009 are being accepted at the following Head Start locations:

Carbondale Center
1900 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale
453-2440

Eurma C. Hayes Center Co-Location
441 W. Willow St., Carbondale
453-6448 or 457-3302
Offering full year options

Murphysboro Center
9822 Highway 149
684-4433

Marion Center
907 N. Vicksburg, Marion
997-4255

Johnston City Center
901 Prosperity Ave., Johnston City
983-8459

John A. Logan Preschool Head Start Co-Location
700 Logan College Road, Carterville
997-2216 or 985-3741
Offering full year options

Malone’s Childcare Head Start Co-Location
108 Walnut, Carterville
997-2216 or 985-3366
Offering full year options

The President, on February 17, 2009,signed P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Includedthis Act is a funding increase of $2.1 billion for Head Start; $1.1 billion of which is for Early Head Start expansion and $1 billion of which is to bein accordance with the statutorily mandated allocation requirementsin Section 640 of the Head Start Act, including increases for cost-of-living, quality improvement, expansion and training. In addition, as part of the FY 2009appropriations process, Congress has provided a $234.8 million funding increase for Head Start. This is good news for Head Start programs who have seen cuts to funding in recent years. In fact, funding in 2008 was 11 percent below the 2002 funding level adjusted only for inflation. Local programs are in the process of writing proposals for use of funds; proposals to be reviewed at a Federal level.

Hello, my name is Michael Bradford. I am a parent at SIUC Head Start and currently one of the Policy Council representatives elected from the Carbondale center.

This was my first year being involved with Head Start. I have two daughters in the program, Alexis is 4 and MacKenzie is 3. My experience with Head Start has been wonderful. At times it can be trying to be a divorced, single father, but all the valuable information that I have learned from the seminars and parent meetings, has been a lifesaver for me.

My daughters have learned so much since starting Head Start. Not only have they learned the basics, they have also learned wonderful social skills. I think the social skills are just as important as the reading, writing and arithmetic. Skills that they have learned in Head Start are also carried over to their everyday lives at home. Both of my daughters have blossomed into confident, independent little girls from all the things that their teachers, Mr. Cedric, Ms. Robertta, Ms. Doria and Ms. Noel have taught them.

The one thing that I can tell parents who have children in Head Start or parents considering Head Start, be active in their learning. Volunteer in your child’s classroom as much as possible. Not only will you enjoy it, your child will see that you really enjoy being involved in what they are doing. Go on field trips, read to the class, any time that you can spend with them would be awesome.

You’ve heard it said before, our children are our future, and I know my girls’ future has started out great with all the things they have learned and experienced from the Head Start program.

On April 17, 2009, SIUC Head Start was honored to have Dr. Joseph White speak to fathers and staff. Dr. White, a retired professor at the University of California, is the founder of the Association of Black Psychologists and author of Black Fathers: An Invisible Presence in America and Why Fathers Count: The Importance of Fathers and Their Involvement with Children.

Over lunch Dr. White spoke with Head Start fathers/father-figures about the father/child relationship. The discussion centered around the fathers’ responses to three questions:
What do your children need from you to grow up healthy and well-adjusted?
What barriers keep you from providing these things?
What assistance do you need from Head Start to overcome these barriers?

That afternoon, Dr. White shared his discussion with fathers with SIUC Head Start staff. The staff had the opportunity to discuss their role in father/male involvement and develop ideas for ways to better support men caring for young children.

The male involvement at SIUC Head Start has been in existence since 2001. Activities are designed to increase male involvement with children and provide education and support for fathers/father-figures.