• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

West Haven Voice

West Haven’s only independent news source - By and For West Haven

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Archive
  • Advertise With Us!
  • Classified
  • Announcements
  • Contact Us
  • Web Exclusive
    • Kids Activity Pages

WHCH marks Head Start’s anniversary

October 28, 2020 By whvoice

The West Haven Community House Head Start Program offers children and families a variety of educational and fun activities during the year. Among the favorite, of course, is playtime in the agency’s campus playground.

By Kathy Hart-Jones

Special to the Voice

This month, early childhood educators and advocates celebrate the rich history and abundant successes of Head Start at the local, state and national levels. Head Start was launched in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to provide comprehensive health, nutrition, and education services to children and families living in poverty. Since its founding, Head Start has served over 35 million low-income children and families around the nation.

The West Haven Community House launched the first, and only, Head Start program in West Haven in 1978 with eleven children in one classroom. Since then, more than 5,000 Head Start children walked through the doors of the eight-classroom program at the Community House.

Head Start Awareness Month was first created in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan as an opportunity to share the power of Head Start and in recognition for its success in early childhood education and development, as well as support for the program’s whole-child and whole-community approach to supporting families on their path to success.

“We not only provide opportunities for children to develop the social, intellectual, and emotional skills they need to be successful in school and in life; we also connect parents to resources and tools they need to be advocates for their children. We ensure each child receives daily nutritious meals, vision, hearing, and other health screenings and referrals. We also require degrees and credentials of our teaching staff, and offer professional development and coaching to more than 40 employees in our Head Start program including 24 teachers and teacher aides,” said Patty Stevens, executive director of the West Haven Community House.

WHCH staff have been working in overdrive since March to adapt their teaching strategies, maintain enrollment, sanitize classrooms, make necessary health-related adjustments to facilities, and provide access to quality learning opportunities for children and families while constantly adjusted to new state, local, and federal COVID-19 and OEC (Office of Early Childhood) guidelines and safety requirements.

Due to the pandemic, the Community House shut down in mid-March, which not only disrupted learning but has interrupted the essential supports that many children and families depend on such as school meals, the services of counselors and social workers, and access to safe places.  However, during those many weeks, teachers and staff continued to keep in touch with families and children via phone calls, video chats and weekly online newsletters that included fun learning activities, family resources and links to reading videos.  The program reopened in the first week of July providing critical care for children so parents could work.

A typical day now includes greeting families at the door (instead of allowing them inside the classroom), conducting health screenings for every child, increased hand washing and teaching children to practice social distancing. All these measures are taking place in a safe, structured environment while children learn through play, which is central to children’s learning experiences.

There are roughly 2,000 days from the day a child is born until they go to kindergarten. In those days, weeks, months and years, it is critical for children and their families to have access to safe, affordable child care and resources to support children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment. “While we don’t yet know the full effects that COVID-19 will have on young people, we do know that the Community House will always be a beacon of hope for children and families, and will continue to be a leader in identifying, collaborating and implementing services that meet the changing needs of the West Haven community,” Stevens said.

Filed Under: 102920, Voice Profile

Primary Sidebar

Seach our site

Follow us on Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Historian's Corner ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Historian’s Corner

westhavenvoice.com

Historian’s Corner June 4, 2025 By whvoice 1 Comment By Dan Shine Voice Columnist West Haven Veterans Museum Part II See part 1 The West Haven Veterans Museum and Learning Center offers exhibits on ...
1 week ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Letters ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Letters

westhavenvoice.com

Letters June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Peace Officer Memorial proposed Thursday, May 15, marked National Peace Officers Memorial Day. It is a day that we honor and remember law enforcement of...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Editorial ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Editorial

westhavenvoice.com

Editorial June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment Have we learned a lesson? The recent decision by the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) has been hailed by city officials as a banner day fo...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Dear Felicia ... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Dear Felicia

westhavenvoice.com

Dear Felicia June 4, 2025 By whvoice Leave a Comment By the time yew git this missive, m’dear, it’s the beginning of June! It seems hard to believe in many ways. It seems Cobina was shoveling the ...
2 weeks ago
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

 

 

West Haven’s Calendar

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Thursday Night Live (This one's on Friday!!!)

tockify.com

Fri 23 Jun, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM [EDT]: Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT Old Grove Park Public · Anyone on or off Facebook West Haven summer concerts are back! Join us in West Haven thi...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Mark Your West Haven Calendar

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/442/1686776400000

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum

tockify.com

Wed 14 Jun, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM [EDT]: Business After Hours West Haven Veterans Museum West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center Event by Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, CT West Haven Veterans ...
View Comments
  • likes Like 0
  • Comments: 0
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

West Haven Calendar
2 years ago
West Haven Calendar

Added for June 10th & 11th

tockify.com/west.haven.calendar/detail/443/1686405600000

West Haven Historical Society Open House
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

West Haven Historical Society Open House

tockify.com

Sat 10 Jun, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM [EDT]:
View Comments
  • likes Like 2
  • Comments: 1
  • Shares: 0
Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 CommentsComment on Facebook

Load more

Footer

Address

West Haven Voice
840 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT

 

Contact us

Call (203) 934-6397

Contact form

SITE NAVIGATION

HOME
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
ADVERTISE!
CLASSIFIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONTACT US
WEB EXCLUSIVE

FIND US IN PRINT

Our print edition is available each Thursday. Here is a list of locations!

Letters Policy

Information on submitting letters to us.

Our submission deadlines.

Copyright © 2025 West Haven Voice, LLC