Head Start has a historic role in supporting the nation’s most vulnerable children, but the program, now in its 60th year, has faced funding disruptions and weathered a federal government shutdown and administrative upheaval that have challenged its operations.  

Through it all, the Northwest Montana Head Start has managed to keep its doors open with only minor disruptions. Still, three years of flat funding, workforce shortages and lower enrollment have taken a toll.

The program, which opened in Kalispell in 1969, also has locations in Columbia Falls and Eureka, operating on about $2.3 million in federal grant money. Northwest Montana Head Start is one of 19 preschool programs in the state, according to the Montana Head Start Association. 

Northwest Montana Head Start Director Marcy Otten said the combination of flat funding, staffing shortages and a drop in enrollment during the pandemic has led to a decrease in the number of children in the program. Previously serving 192 children total, enrollment was capped at 132 children shortly after the pandemic. 

“One, because we couldn’t find the staff ... we didn’t have enough staff to serve 192 kids and also, we found that we didn’t have 192 kids to serve,” Otten said. 

Cutting enrollment allowed the program to raise staff wages by nearly 20% within its budget constraints. This helped with staff retention, Otten said, in a region where the cost of living keeps going up. She also hopes it aids staff recruitment in a competitive job market. 

As a grant-funded program, Head Start is limited in how it deals with no increases in funding. 

“Because we only get so much money a year and so we don’t have an opportunity to charge more because all our services are free,” said Otten 

“You really have to have the heart for it,” she said. 

HEAD START provides low-income families with access to a free quality preschool program for children ages 3 to 5. Some communities may also offer Early Head Start, which serves infants through 3-year-olds and pregnant women. Additionally, Head Start provides access to nutritious meals, health screenings (medical, dental and mental health) and other services in the community. 

Nationally, Head Start serves about 800,000 children each year. 

Each year, Congress decides how much money the program will receive. The Office of Head Start (part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) then awards the funding through competitive grants to local service providers, both public, private and tribal agencies. Regional offices provide oversight, training and technical assistance for local programs. 

Though it later backed off, the Trump administration in the spring threatened to eliminate funding for Head Start. This came after federal funds for Head Start were frozen in January, and mass layoffs occurred at regional offices, making it difficult for some programs to get funding.  

A federal lawsuit filed by Head Start programs in a handful of states against the Department of Health and Human Services alleges that the Trump administration's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in federal programs conflicts with Head Start’s obligation to serve the “diverse needs” of communities, including providing “linguistically and culturally appropriate” services and supporting children with disabilities.  

The lawsuit claims that the suspension or termination of Head Start services has and would cause harm to Head Start programs and the families served, as they do not know whether programs will be “suddenly forced to close in a day, a week, or a month.”  

There are 11 Early Head Start programs operating in Montana. 

Northwest Montana Head Start only offers the free preschool program. Children are accepted into Head Start through an application process that prioritizes low-income families and children with disabilities. The program also uses a point system to enroll students with high needs.  

“We base our point scale off of some of the things that we’re seeing in the community,” Otten said, such as if a child is in foster care, or if a family is experiencing domestic violence, substance use, or homelessness, for example.    

Children learning English also receive points, and that group has grown among school-aged children in the valley. 

“We used to not have anyone years ago,” Otten said, but now they now serve under a dozen multilingual families. “We’re really working hard to find resources for ourselves, as well as in the community, to help with that language barrier, because Google Translate doesn’t always work fabulously.” 

Staff members’ children now receive points too, which was a change made this year to help with hiring. 

“Just trying to help with that whole workforce piece because that is an issue in early childhood — or education in general these days, you know. I need people to work in the industry,” Otten said.    

AT NORTHWEST Montana Head Start, teachers focus on helping children develop socially and emotionally, not just academically. Jade Johnson is the teacher of a mixed-age classroom at the Kalispell center. She said mixing different ages fosters learning and patience. 

Parents say the program helps children adjust to being away from home while learning the structure of school. In Johnson’s classroom, she posts daily schedules and routines, setting timers that provide visual and auditory cues to keep kids moving and on task. 

“They work with you to help your child get ready. I think what’s so great is that they are not starting kindergarten blind. They’re coming in with social-emotional skills,” said parent Jessican Killion. 

Teachers do home visits before and at the end of the school year. Home visits at the beginning of the year help teachers get to know the child and family where they are most comfortable before even stepping foot in the classroom, Johnson said.  

“This is super helpful. It gives us a chance to talk to the family, learn about their values, their culture and how they do things,” Johnson said. “Once we have a good partnership with the family, it just means more success for the child because when we’re on the same page at school and at home, it’s consistency, and children thrive off consistency.” 

Grandparent and guardian Todd Warner agreed. 

“The teachers are a good resource,” he said.  

When Warner became the legal guardian of his grandson, he needed help navigating modern parenting.  

“Our oldest is in his 40s. I hadn’t been a parent of a child in a long time. I was learning new stuff and needed help,” Warner said.   

His first goal was finding opportunities for his grandson to socialize with children his age, outside the usual trips to the playground. He learned about Head Start through Child Protective Services and enrolled after researching the program. 

He said the program provided the support he needed to help raise his grandson, who grew academically, socially and behaviorally and successfully started kindergarten this year. Warner said he also saw growth among his grandson’s classmates. 

His background working as a prison guard made him value Head Start even more. 

 "I spent five years [working] in a juvenile prison. It was the most heartbreaking job I can imagine," he said. “The whole program was set up to get them back into society — not back in adult prison — and I would ask the politicians why aren’t we spending money on kids before they are criminals?”    

He believes Head Start is a smart investment. According to the Montana Head Start Association, “Research show[s] that investing in high quality programs like Head Start results in a return of $7-$11 for each dollar invested.” 

“What I tell people in the community is they should put more money in Head Start because Head Start is cheap,” Warner said.  

“The idea is to give these children a chance before they enter school," he said. Despite circumstances they may be born into that are beyond their control. 

Family involvement is also a component of enrolling in Head Start. Parents and guardians must volunteer, considered as “in-kind dollars” to supplement federal funding, according to Killion, who is president of the policy committee.  Warner also serves on the policy committee. Both have served for three years. 

Local businesses and community groups are invited into the classroom. Families also enjoy monthly game nights and special take-and-make projects.  

Warner said one project was building wood toolboxes from kits donated by Home Depot.  

“It pulls kids and parents together to do something productive. And that’s what the kids learn. How to pull together and be productive,” he said. 

Johnson said that much of Head Start’s lasting impact happens in small, daily moments that aren’t always on display to the community. 

“I think if they could see the work that’s done inside of Head Start on a personal level within the community, they would realize what an impact it makes,” said Johnson. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected]. 

  

 Teacher Jade Johnson works with a group of preschool children in her classroom at Northwest Montana Head Start in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Northwest Montana Head Start in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)