Head Start Director Cynthia Bayless says the local demand for preschool is more than State and federal programs can handle.
The local Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, ended last month, but officials are already concerned about how they will meet the growing demand for next year’s classes. Head Start guarantees room for 213 area students, and so far the program has received 250 applications for 2006-07. Although Head Start officials expect to add more spots, they say that by August there will likely be a waiting list.
Experts say early childhood education is crucial, and the demand for Head Start is intense. In April, only a month before 2005-06 services ended, the program still had a waiting list of 182 children. Of that figure, 70 were “income eligible,” meaning they met federal poverty guidelines ($20,000 annually for a family of four).
Head Start provides preschool education for at-risk students in Central Virginia, and is locally administered by Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA). Charlottesville and Albemarle school systems also have preschool programs largely funded by the Virginia Pre-school Initiative (VPI), serving 240 children in both school districts combined. Both Head Start and the VPI programs consider factors like family income, parents in the home, English proficiency and disabilities when admitting students.
“Between VPI and the Head Start program that we have now, there are still children unserved,” says Cynthia Bayless, Head Start director for MACAA. For those without access to either, the private alternative is expensive: MACAA estimates preschool costs, on average, to be $123 per week.
Governor Tim Kaine recently established a “Start Strong” council (which includes local philanthropist Patricia Kluge) to fill the gaps between VPI and Head Start. But that program, which the governor estimates at $300 million annually if fully funded, is years away, meaning that, in the meantime, many children may be starting kindergarten at a disadvantage.—Will Goldsmith