Meadow Lakes program gives kids a head start

MEADOW LAKES -- Chugiak Children's Services has offered a Head Start program in the Houston, Big Lake and Meadow Lakes area since 1994. Head Start is an educational program for children 3 to 5 years old from income-eligible families. Today, the program operates from the Meadow Lakes Child and Family Development Center, and serves 60 area children and their families.

Beverley Roach is the center coordinator.

"We work to make sure the child is prepared -- to help them make a successful transition into the school setting," she said. "That's the primary goal of the Head Start program."

The focus is not only on academic learning, Roach said. "We also work to help build a child's social confidence and self-esteem."

When a child is enrolled in Head Start, they participate in a series of assessments through Child Find. This helps parents identify their child's specific developmental strengths and weaknesses. With this information, parents and teachers sit down together and develop a learning plan for the child.

"We look at what their goals and expectations are, where their child is developmentally, and we go from there," said Christine Armstrong, a family support assistant and co-manager of the center. "We fine-tune the program as we get to know the family and the child."

Teacher assessments are repeated several times during the year to monitor the children's progress.

Head Start teachers have a unique relationship with the families they serve. They meet monthly with the family, often times in the family's home, to work on specific goals that have been established for the child.

"A child won't be able to succeed where the family is not succeeding," Roach said, "so we try to involve the whole family."

Angie Bertling, a teacher's aide at the school, said she enjoys seeing the parents get involved in their child's education. "We start that here, and the parents carry it on to the school district," she said.

While Roach handles managing the facility and the needs of the children, Armstrong works directly with the families. Armstrong said the program offers lots of resources for the entire family, including family fun nights, parent conferences and family visits, volunteer opportunities, training opportunities, family literacy, book distribution, workshops and parenting classes, referrals, and other support.

"We try to help them with anything they have a need for," she said, "and we link them to the right resources for their particular needs."

Parents aren't required to participate in the program, but they are encouraged to get involved. Some parents attend the classes, others serve on committees and work to raise money for things like library books and special school projects.

Each Head Start classroom is made up of 20 students, a family educator, and an associate educator. Children can be transported by bus or dropped off and picked up by their parents. The children spend four hours a day, four days a week in one of three classrooms. Their meals, a breakfast and a hot lunch, are prepared at the Wasilla Senior Center and served family style in the classroom daily. Children pour their own milk, help serve their own food, and help clean up after the meal.

Leona Payne of Big Lake has a daughter in the program. Payne's two older children came through the program before moving into grade school, and she said her youngest child will likely attend as well.

"The program gives kids a good start," Payne said. "The teachers help the kids with their ABCs, colors -- all that stuff -- but they also teach them about getting along with other kids," she said. "And they teach the kids about manners. I really appreciate that."

"The program is family oriented and family-friendly," said Kelly Williams, a teacher at the school. "And we have a lot of parent involvement. It's all of us -- the kids, the parents, and the staff -- working together toward the same goal."

In addition to the help of the parents, Head Start gets help from the community in making their program successful. Local service organizations and other businesses have donated funds, volunteers, and materials from carpet to books.

"Whatever the need is," said Trish Jacob, a family advocate, "the community has been very supportive on special projects."

Linda Ketchum is the executive director of Chugiak Children's Services. Each center conducts a satisfaction survey annually, according to Ketchum. "In 2004, parents from the Meadow Lakes center overwhelmingly agreed with the statement that the staff treated them with dignity and respect," she said, "and they also strongly agreed that the staff valued and listened to their opinions. This tells me, as a director, that we are doing a good job of building strong family partnerships in that community."

Head Start is free to low-income, foster, or special needs families. Parents or guardians who are interested in the program can call the center at 373-7165. Chugiak Children's Services also operates Head Start programs in Wasilla, Palmer and Chugiak. For more information, visit their Web site at www.ccsalaska.org, or call 745-4040.