Parents look for places to send their child as some Head Start programs have limited capacity – KBSI Fox 23 Cape Girardeau News

METROPOLIS Ill. (KBSI) – Some children get that opportunity through the Head Start program, but some children are left behind.

Officials and parents are weighing in on these programs in Illinois and Missouri.

HeadStart is an early education program for children under five that focuses on kindergarten readiness and also helps children develop social skills.

This program is in high demand and participation varies depending on the county near the child. For some parents it is easy, for others it can be challenging.

“I’m a mother and I’ve been through this,” Rhine said.

Shawna Rhine, the Southern Seven Health Department’s community outreach coordinator, says there’s still a lot happening at Head Start.

It’s not just a program to watch your child, but to help them prepare for the future and excel.

“It’s not just a day care as I say, we work with the children. There’s a lot of socialization going on, a lot of play, but there are more than one or two people looking after your child and making sure they get what they need,” Rhine said.

Rhine explains that you don’t necessarily have to live in the district.

You can also take your child to a county where you work if the program is not yet open. Every county is different and southern Illinois counties for Head Start are filling up quickly.

“It is simply a comprehensive program and because the Southern Seven Health Department is the umbrella over Southern Seven, the children in the program also have access to Department of Health services.”

Local mothers in Cape Girardeau talk about the overall benefits of the Head Start program.

They think it’s a great program. However, some families do not have access to these resources. Some families do not have access to these resources.

Some families are on the waiting list for this program and the wait is unbearable.

Private schools are unable to offer the Head Start program, so they offer programs for three- and four-year-olds. However, what stands in the way of these programs is the price.

“The reason we started our preschool program is to give families another option. We’re not as free as we would be with a head start, but we’re pretty reasonable about what you would pay for daycare,” Bruns said.

Alan Bruns is principal of Saint Mary Cathedral School in Cape Girardeau.

He says private schools like Saint Mary’s have more to offer than just daycare.

“Beyond daycare, we have some curriculum in place and are learning and communicating again with parents about how they can help their child be better prepared for preschool this year and kindergarten after that,” Bruns said.

Parents say Head Start is a great program, but it is underfunded and there are many people who are underserved.

If you are looking for a Head Start program for your child under five, visit your local schools in the county or district where you work to see if there are any openings.