TFC Grows Head Start Footprint

Wyandotte County, KS – The Family Conservancy (TFC) is excited to announce the receipt of a notice of award for our Head Start and Early Head Start grant from the Office of Head Start (OHS), Department of Health and Human Services within the Administration for Children and Families.

This project period lasts five years (through June 30, 2024), with the first budget period beginning July 1, 2019.

This new grant will allow TFC to provide 181 children in Wyandotte County, Kansas, with Head Start (165 children) and Early Head Start (16 children) services in the first program year. These services will be provided through partnerships with child care centers, onsite at their facilities, providing full-day, full-year support to children under five.

Díana Martínez, TFC’s Head Start Director, shared “Our goal in applying for the funds was to meet the needs of the families we serve, from birth to age 5. Head Start provides a two generation approach to support child development and family resiliency. This grant will enable us to serve children and their families in a holistic manner to set them up for a lifetime of success.”

This award will grow TFC’s existing Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership work in Kansas, which currently serves 116 children from birth to age 3, in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. By building on our partnerships in Wyandotte County, and an understanding of families’ needs, this new grant provides continuity of care for children, so that they may stay at the same child care site for a parent’s workday, and remain with the same provider until they reach kindergarten.

Dean Olson, President and CEO of the agency, said “The Family Conservancy is honored to be granted the opportunity to serve these children and their families. This will strengthen our vision and work ensuring all children in the Kansas City Metro are given the chance to be successful in school and in life.”

Overall, with the addition of this grant, TFC will serve a total of 297 children, from birth to age 5, with Head Start supports in the state of Kansas.

TFC served as a Head Start delegate agency in Missouri from 2006 through 2018, and continues to support Missouri Head Start educators and partners with quality improvement initiatives and training. Additionally, TFC continues to serve children through Home Based Head Start services in Clay, Platte and Jackson counties, currently visiting 120 children, weekly.