Knox County Head Start Inc

Early Head Start is a federally funded, community-based program for low-income families with infants, toddlers and pregnant women. Its mission is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, to enhance the development of very young children, and to promote healthy family functioning. Knox County Head Start is funded to serve 64 infants, toddlers and pregnant women and their families in the Early Head Start program at any one time. During the 2024-25 program year, KCHS provided services to 110 infants and toddlers and five pregnant mothers in the 64 funded slots, with 92 infants/toddlers enrolled more than 45-days (ten children transitioned to Head Start within 45-days of enrollment or the start of the program year). Twelve children served were identified with disabilities or developmental delays under an individualized family service plan. At the end of enrollment, 90 of 110 children (82%) were up to date on all required primary and preventive health care and screenings, and 98/101 (97%) were current on immunizations, with 91 fully up to date, 5 having received all immunizations possible; and two (2) exemptions from immunizations. Of those children not up to date, nine of the children were enrolled less than 45 days. KCHS provided center-based slots, in full day, full year centers in Fredericktown, Gambier and Mount Vernon, Ohio, with full-day care provided from ten to eleven hours per day, five days per week, 50 weeks per year. Head Start is a federally funded, comprehensive developmental preschool program for income eligible children ages three to five and their families. Knox County Head Start, Inc. receives grants from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services for the operation of the program. In the 2024-2025 School Year, Knox County Head Start served 198 children in 149 funded Head Start slots; 83 of those children transitioned to kindergarten in August 2025. All enrolled children made developmental progress, with the percentage of preschool children achieving widely held developmental expectations by area: Social-Emotional (90%); Physical (98%); Language (85%); Cognitive (92%), Literacy (89%) and Math (81%). Thirty-four (34) children served received special education and related services under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Children received screenings for health issues, including physicals, lead and hemoglobin screenings, speech, hearing and developmental screenings, dental screenings, and mental health screenings. Seventy-three (73) children, or 40% of children served, required follow up medical care, and 63, or 86%, of those children received the follow up care needed. Twenty-two (22) children, or 11% of children served, required follow up dental care, and 18 of those children received the care needed, for a follow up rate of 82%.