In 1968, a young
grandparent, Trenton Mitchell, was chairperson of the DELEGATE
POLICY COMMITTEE at UNION METHODIST HEAD START in Brooklyn, New
York. The program was asked to leave the premises and Mr.
Mitchell, along with four other parents, retained an attorney to
draft a proposal and to form a corporation for the operation of
their own HEAD START program. Meanwhile, Union Methodist
unsuccessfully attempted solely to operate the existing program.
Mr. Mitchell's proposal was
presented to and accepted by the COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
under the HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION. In October of 1969,
COMMUNITY PARENTS was incorporated and 60 children received their
HEAD START experience at FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH, located at 92
Herkimer Street.
Challenges were immediate.
The new program occupied the second floor choir room. The
teachers, themselves, painted the classrooms. The kitchen was in
the basement. The program remained there until the Department Of
Health no longer would license the facility. Pearl Neverson, then
an assistant teacher and Salita Beuney, the Education Director,
searched for an alternative space. A facility constructed for OIC
Day Care at the JACKIE ROBINSON HOUSING COMPLEX was discovered. It
had been unoccupied for two years. Rachelle Robinson, the wife of
the renowned baseball player, for whom the housing complex was
named, was instrumental and invaluable in securing the site for
Community Parents Head Start. The program relocated to 90 Chauncey
Street in 1978.
The 1980s presented a
difficult financial time for Community Parents Head Start. It
needed to expand to include an additional classroom. Payrolls were
tight and sometimes were delayed. Personnel turnover was high.
Volunteer parents, through commitment and dedication, eventually
became permanent staff. Community Parents Head Start
persevered.
The 1990s brought a period
of rapid change. The additional classroom, which had been closed,
reopened to become one of the first facilities for extended day
service. It was Community Parents' initial step toward automation.
In 1991, Mr. Mitchell decided that it was time to pass the torch
and to retire from the program, which was so close to his
heart.
Everything came to a sudden
halt on Martin Luther King's birthday, in 1992. A fire completely
destroyed the extended day classroom and severely damaged the
remaining premises. Daily, staff outreached in the community to
find a temporary site. BEREAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH opened its
doors to us and the program was relocated to 1635 Bergen Street
during the grueling renovation process. At the time, the motto
was, "THE PHOENIX SHALL RISE FROM THE ASHES!" After four months,
Community Parents Head Start returned home to a newly renovated
and modernized facility.
Community Parents Head Start
has come a long way! It is one of the few agencies which has a
medical satellite clinic, KIDS COUNT, which provides itinerant
services for children with special needs. An on site playground
has been developed. Community Parents Head Start has maintained
step with new and emerging technologies. The agency is the sponsor
of the ACS/HEAD START PARENT TRAINING INSTITUTE. Community Parents
Head Start continues to live up to its legacy, striving to serve
children and families in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
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Community Parents Head
Start believes that learning is an essential part of every child's
life. Play and exploration are natural aspects of children's need
to learn and to satisfy their curiosity about the world around
them. While playing, children can develop abilities and ideas
which are fundamental to future learning.
Each of us at Community
Parents Head Start has a responsibility to provide an environment
which is conducive to the development of young children. This is
done through planning and evaluation with parents and
staff.
As educators, we should use
all creative means to motivate and to assist each child's
development as we encourage interplay among social, emotional,
cognitive and physical growth, all the while, taking into
consideration that each child develops at his and her own pace.
In this process, we must
also identify ways to work with other community agencies and
organizations to effectively address family needs and to encourage
parents to participate in the learning process. We work
collectively, using all available resources to educate the Head
Start child. Some of these resources may center around the
development of ethnic pride and the awareness of the diverse
cultures in our community. There are many avenues of learning to
discover, in the home, community and surrounding areas of
Bedford-Stuyvesant. As we uncover these paths of learning, our
main objective and commitment is to educate and to develop the
total Head Start child.
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- EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
AND HEALTH
The program is accredited by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC).
The Creative Curriculum is used to provide age appropriate,
culturally diverse activities for children, enhanced by field
trips. The philosophy is to develop and to educate the total Head
Start child, while recognizing their developmental
differences.
Itinerant services are
offered through Kids Count satellite clinic affiliated with
Clinical Associates for Rehabilitation and Evaluation, Inc.
(C.A.R.E.)
Speech and language therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy,
family counseling, Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT)
services and medical screenings are provided.
Two thirds of a child's
nutritional requirements are met through the contractual agreement
with NYS Department of Health's Child and Adult Care Feeding
Program (CACFP).
Nutrition activities and parent workshops are included in the
curriculum.
- FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
A case management approach
is used in the assessment of families' needs, identifying long and
short term goals. This department is a liaison between the family
and community resources that impacts the well being of the family
unit.
The philosophy is that every family has the ability to alter the
social conditions that have formed the systems that surround the
immediate community.
Recognizing that parents are
children's primary educators, training experiences are offered to
parents as volunteers in the classroom, opportunities for
involvement in center based activities and inclusion in the
decision making processes in the operation of the
program.
- PROGRAM DESIGN AND
MANAGEMENT
Collaborative partnerships
with a variety of service providers and resources from community
based organizations strengthens the service delivery to
participating families.
The objective to make an effectual change in the lives of families
is inherent in the mission of the program.
- SPECIAL
PROJECTS
