Denver Great Kids Head Start Is Awarded Over $2 Million To Expand Programs Supporting Children With School Readiness

Press release from the City and County of Denver:

August 17, 2020

DENVER – The Denver Great Kids Head Start program, housed within the Office of Children's Affairs, received a federal grant for over $2 million to expand and support school-readiness programs that serve families with children ages 0 to 5 years old.

Denver Great Kids Head Start has worked closely with community members, educators, parents and nonprofit partners to deliver high-quality, comprehensive child-development options for preschoolers for the past 25 years. This federal grant will not only open the door to serve more qualified families and help their preschoolers build a strong foundation for learning, but it will also create an opportunity to support programs that serve children before they are even born. The Denver Great Kids Head Start program will now serve pregnant mothers, infants, toddlers and preschoolers in under served neighborhoods. These expanded services will ensure that 'Early Head Start' families receive access to customized intervention programs and that 'Preschool Head Start' children are prepared to enter kindergarten with strong social, emotional and cognitive skills.

“The City of Denver is dedicated to ensuring the success of our youngest and most vulnerable learners,” Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “The first years matter most, and with this expansion, more families will have access to early learning programs - paving the way for a smoother kindergarten transition for our future leaders."

Denver Great Kids Head Start also partners with various health organizations to provide parents and guardians with comprehensive medical, nutrition, mental health supports, and services for people with disabilities; in addition, parents will have the opportunity to participate in workshops around financial literacy and becoming more effective role models for their children. Denver Great Kids Head Start is the programmatic and fiduciary grantor for all seven Head Start agencies across the city and works with a network of partners to strengthen the operations of each agency - ensuring their Head Start families and children are thriving in their programs.

“Expanding the Denver Great Kids Head Start program will empower more Denver families and their children,” said Dionne Williams, Executive Director for the Office of Children’s Affairs. “Numerous city departments, vendor services, and community partners will work together to leverage this additional funding source, while being guided by one shared goal – to meet the needs of the Head Start families in Denver."

“This is an exciting time for families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers," said Dr. Al Martinez, Executive Director for Denver Great Kids Head Start. “This grant will not only ensure that more families have the supports needed to help their children develop strong learning skills at an early age, but it will also provide resources for our teachers to continuously improve program quality that will ultimately lead to better outcomes for our kids."

Denver Great Kids Head Start partners with a unique mix of early education providers, including Denver Public Schools, four nonprofit organizations and two faith-based programs. This uniqueness gives families options that focus on having their children learn at home or at a neighborhood center, while in a full-day or half-day program. All program services are designed to support parents and guardians in fulfilling their role as their child’s primary educator, as they are their first and most important teacher.

The grant was awarded by the national Office of Head Start, within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Denver Great Kids Head Start will begin expansion services starting with the 2020 – 2021 school year. To learn more and find out if your family is eligible for the program, visit denvergov.org/headstart.

This press release was produced by the City and County of Denver. The views expressed here are the author’s own.