Signups for the Upper Cumberland Head Start Program are underway for the 2025-26 school year.
Head Start Director Penny Meadows said the program gives three to five year-old children a boost in early education. Participants are given a meal and lessons on subjects like science and math. Meadows said the program can be tailored to each child enrolled.
“What we do is not just educational, we also work with the family as a whole,” Meadows said. “Educationally, we work to prepare the children for school. We meet them where they’re at.”
Head Start tracks each child’s progress through a series of assessments to ensure each child is improving his or her knowledge. Registration details are available LJBC Head Start Facebook page or by contacting your local Head Start Center.
Meadows said some kids have individualized education plans to make sure they get instruction based on their needs.
“We set goals with the parents,” Meadows said. “We set goals first with the children so that if the children need certain things, we know what the parents want them to learn and we work on those goals. We also have family engagement staff to set goals for the families.”
The family engagement staff sets goals beyond the classroom too. Meadows said they help families to find a home, better job, or even more education.
“Head Start believes you have to make a change in the entire family’s life, not just the child’s life,” Meadows said. “If you don’t help the entire family, it’s not as likely to last.”
Head Start registration for next school year requires a proof of age, income, and immunization for each child. A birth certificate, paystub, and a certificate of a medical exam are some of the necessary documents to prove eligibility. Meadows said this information is fed to twenty centers in twelve counties, and acceptance to the program is need-based.
