Head start program in Colorado county expanding to Lakewood, Golden in spite of federal funding uncertainty

Many parents of students this new school year have questions about the statuses of federally funded after-school programs like Head Start. In Colorado's Jefferson County, the program isn't downsizing -- instead it's expanding to new communities.

Earlier this year the city of Lakewood rescinded their stewardship of Head Start, a pre-kindergarten education program for those in low-income areas. But luckily, Jefferson County stepped up and is now expanding the presence of the program even as funding for the program remains precarious.

Just off the corner of South Yarrow Street and Florida Avenue in Lakewood, the director of Jefferson County's Head Start after-school programs is something of a one-woman army.

"We've been fast and furious trying to get staff hired and families enrolled," Rachel Meixner told CBS Colorado.

Meixner is preparing for expansions in both Lakewood and Golden. In the case of Lakewood, the city had previously handled the Head Start program but rescinded their obligation to it. Jeffco Head Start applied for the federal grant money that was now available, eventually taking the city's old space for their own.

"Toddler care is very hard to come by, very expensive," Meixner said. "So the fact that we were able to increase capacity for toddlers is very critical."

At the Lakewood location, which includes one building for toddler care, another two for Pre-K care and outdoor areas for everyone, Meixner explained that they can handle up to 80 preschool aged children. 16 will be toddler-aged while the other 64 will be Pre-K. But the broader discussion about the longevity about the program is a question that gets asked often.

Despite widespread concerns and open threats from the administration about potentially zeroing out the budget for Head Start, the Department of Health and Human Services reversed course in May. Meixner said that there were no cuts to JeffCo Head Start this year, with funding instead remaining flat year over year.

The grants, she explained, are signed in five year increments. While future funding isn't guaranteed, they are still likely to receive something financial due to the amount of time the grant is funded for.

"We applied with the support of the Board of County Commissioners and we were awarded the funds to pick up those services," said Meixner. "Whether Head Star can exist or how much it is funded is decided by our elected officials in Washington. Sometimes we can see flat funding like what we saw this year. Hopefully we get increases, or in past years we've seen decreases. It really depends on what federal appropriations look like."

The desire for the county to expand during this time was fueled by Lakewood's lack of a program left by the city's decision to rescind their governance of it. Since Head Start mostly caters to lower income families, Meixner believes that this new location will be a gamechanger for who they're able to help in the county.

"The city of Lakewood has a higher poverty rate than most of Jefferson County, so having these locations continue in these neighborhoods that are highly impacted by poverty and lower incomes is critical so people can access the services," she said, noting that many people in these areas had trouble traveling their young children to Jeffco Head Starts' original Arvada location. Now, it will be easier to provide those services countywide, Meixner added.

Bringing a helpful solution during a changing season and the dawn of a new school year in Jefferson County.

If you are a parent interested and qualified for the program, you can find more information at jeffco.us.