The Council conducts a yearly community survey to learn directly from local people what they need to be successful and increase their economic mobility. Topping the list of employment-related needs is childcare. Plus, the number of households in our constituent counties that have signed on asking Congress to fully fund Head Start is among the highest in the nation.
You spoke, and we listened! The results show that Central Kentuckians are asking for investments in childcare and early childhood education that can keep them on the job, and they trust in their local Head Start providers to deliver it.
In September 2024, agency staff attended the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) Fall Leadership Institute, and we took your message to Washington, D.C.
The Fall Leadership Institute provides Head Start leaders and experts with the opportunity to engage in professional development that challenges them to innovate for excellence and take to Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress.
Representatives from the Council met with staffers from Senator Mitch McConnell, Representative Andy Barr, and Representative Thomas Massie’s offices to discuss the mandate we have from you—their constituents—to uphold Head Start and increase its reach.
We let them know that nearly half of Kentucky’s children live in childcare deserts, which is keeping an estimated 200,000 parents out of the workforce. We reminded them that over a billion dollars in economic activity is lost in the state every year due to a lack of childcare. We showcased the trust you have placed in us to deliver high-quality programming that results in roughly 90% of children exiting our programs ready for kindergarten. We invited them to examine our financial transparency and careful stewardship of funds demonstrated through clean, yearly audits and maximized leverage of private sector investments. We also showed them how you are delivering a return on the investment of Head Start through increased workforce participation, job skill training, and educational attainment.
We appreciate the trust that you continue to show in our agency and your willingness to help us show our representatives that Head Start matters to you, your job, and the stability of your family.