Klamath Family Head Start is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year! Go to our website at kfheadstart.org and click “Enroll Now.” After completing the online portion of the application, a member of our Enrollment Team will be in contact with you to complete the remainder of your application by phone or in-person.
Klamath Family Head Start (KFHS) is a family development program serving families with children ages birth – 5 years. Through providing enriching educational environments, family engagement opportunities, health and wellness screenings, nutritional services and access to community resources, KFHS seeks to support families in fulfilling their long- and short-term goals. Read on to learn more about the services Klamath Family Head Start provides.
Education
Klamath Family Head Start has 24 in-person classes and two home-based classes at five sites throughout Klamath and Lake Counties. We serve Head Start families (ages 3-5 years) in the communities of Klamath Falls, Merrill, Bonanza, and Lakeview. Early Head Start services (birth-3 years) are offered in Klamath Falls, Merrill and Lakeview. Each classroom is staffed by three qualified members of our teaching team. Our classrooms use the following evidence-based curriculums throughout the program, which heavily promote social-emotional skills and language development.
Creative Curriculum
Project-based curriculum designed to foster the development of the whole child through teacher-led small and large group activities, and organizes the classroom around 11 interest areas.
Conscious Discipline
Social-emotional learning program that supports first teaching ourselves about self-control and self-regulation, and then teaching children.
Second Step
A holistic approach to social-emotional learning with units on skills for learning empathy, emotion management, friendship skills, and problem solving.
Zoophonics
A method developed to make children strong readers and spellers using hearing, speaking, seeing, moving and touch – a whole brain approach.
Mental Health
KFHS houses a full-time Child and Family Counselor. Our counselor is able to serve the program in many important ways, including:
- Meeting with parents one-on-one to give support in a variety of topics
- Teaching a Conscious Discipline parenting course
- Supporting families in accessing necessary health and behavioral resources in the community
- Completing classroom observations and providing strategic support to teachers
- Providing training and mental health support to teaching staff
Health and Nutrition
Children who attend classes on-site receive 2-3 nutritious meals per day. Teachers encourage a healthy relationship with food by modeling good eating habits and discussing with children where foods come from and how they are prepared. The program also partners with a registered dietician to support families’ individual needs. KFHS provides developmental, physical, dental and vision screenings to children throughout each school year. Families are supported in obtaining health insurance and establishing care with a primary doctor and dentist, and are encouraged to complete one visit with these providers each year.
Family Engagement
KFHS encourages families’ engagement with our program through the Kids’ Club Reading Program, monthly Policy Council meetings, parenting classes, trainings, monthly Parent Groups and various social and celebratory events. These events usually include on-site gatherings for Winterfest, Safety Town, community presenters, and End-of-the-Year Transition Celebrations. Due to restrictions in place due to COVID-19, we have had to re-think these events, instead offering drive-through and virtual options. We hope to have our families back with us in person very soon!
Community Partnerships
By getting to know each individual family’s needs and goals, KFHS staff are able to refer families to important resources in the community. We partner with Early Childhood Intervention, Lutheran Community Services, Community Uplift, Coats for Kids, Goodwill, Basin Transit Service, a registered dietician and dental hygienist, and more. We frequently coordinate with county libraries, Klamath Basin Behavioral Health, Klamath & Lake County Community Action Services, and local medical offices. It is thanks to these partners that we are able to provide such a holistic approach to each family’s needs. . . . . . Klamath Family Head Start strives to meet our daily commitment to provide a creative and inspiring environment that creates a love of learning, promotes and supports individual success, and honors the family as the child’s most important teacher. We work with families, communities, and agencies to strengthen environments where all children and families feel connected, respected, and valued. Apply today!