Organization gets assist from CPS in growing Head Start

COLUMBUS -- Central Nebraska Community Services held an open house Wednesday to exhibit its new partnership with Columbus Public Schools (CPS) and how the relationship has enabled the expansion of the local Head Start program.

Central Nebraska Community Services, 3286 53rd Ave., is a private, non-profit agency that administers the local Head Start, an early childhood education program.

The alliance has allowed the Head Start program to expand from 100 to 140 students, with no cost to participating families.

Tammy Classen, area manager for Central Nebraska Community Services, said although the Head Start grant is income based, the grant provided by CPS is not as restrictive, which allows families who may be over qualified to send their kids to the pre-school program.

The CPS grant makes funds available for families “just over the income level, but not able to pay for private pre-school,” Classen said.

With the additional students and expansion of the program, more space was required for staffing needs so earlier this year Central Nebraska Community Services purchased the building to the north, formerly the Cartoon Care Child Care and Preschool.

The building will serve as a training center for the agency and provides the additional needed office space, she said.

Classen said the agency would like to see every child have the opportunity to attend pre-school due to the social and educational benefits attributed to such attendance.

“Our ultimate goal is to serve all kids and send all kids to pre-school,” she said, but limited funding restricts the number of participants, which is why the CPS partnership is important.

“We want to serve kids who don’t have pre-school opportunities. We want to meet those needs,” she said, and “we are hoping (the program) will expand each year.”