Preparing Black preschool students for the education they will need to succeed as adults is imperative in Missouri and throughout the nation.
“School readiness is so important for our children so they can know what they are competing against.” – said Gwendolyn Diggs, Urban League Head Start and Early Head Start president.
While parents and families seek opportunities to help their children begin learning at a young age, many times there aren’t enough teachers to fill the need – especially in underserved communities.
The “Interstate Partnership Agreement” announced on Tuesday at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis headquarters on North Kingshighway partners the local Urban League chapter, YWCA Metro St. Louis, The Full Employment Council of Kansas City, and Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD) to address the shortage of childcare workers in the state.
Through $3.3 million in grants from the MDHEWD’s Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning (OAWBL), hundreds of apprenticeships will be funded for people seeking a career as an early childhood educator.
“School readiness is so important for our children so they can know what they are competing against,” said Gwendolyn Diggs, Urban League Head Start and Early Head Start president.
“We want to give them the advantage. We want to give them the edge.”
The will is there but many times the early childhood education teachers are not.
According to a 2022 survey of 7,500 early childhood educators from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, four of five childcare centers in America are understaffed.
“We have to have the adults in place so kids can come in and take a seat,” said Diggs.
The St. Louis Urban League Head Start and Early Head Start programs are receiving $826,747 through the partnership, and the YWCA St. Louis Head Start program is receiving $303,000.
“We struggle and stretch to meet the needs of our parents and of employers,” said YWCA Metro St. Louis president and CEO Cheryl Watkins.
“This is a very exciting step that will help hundreds, if not thousands, of families gain access to Head Start. This is a real solution to a pressing problem.”
Head Start is a national anti-poverty program for children from families living below the national poverty line. It focuses on providing preschool for 4-year-olds and support for their families. Its services are now being offered to children under 4 and their families. The services, which range from home visits to infant and toddler care, are known as Early Head Start.
The Urban League Head Start serves about 800 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and provides center-based operations at eight locations from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
YWCA is the largest provider of Head Start services in St. Louis and St. Louis County, serving more than 1,000 preschool-aged children and more than 200 infants and toddlers at nine Early Childhood Education Centers and 12 Child Care Partner Centers.
It was recently recognized by the National Head Start Association as a National Program of Excellence, and is the only program in Missouri (and one of 13 nationally) to receive the five-year accreditation.
Mike McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, called Head Start “one of the foundational programs of this organization, not only locally but nationwide.”
“Head Start can help families afford to put their children in childcare and get them ready for school. It is one of the most well respected and universally supported governmental programs.”
Clyde McQueen, Full Employment Council Kansas City CEO, said helping create new early childhood education teachers is an essential part of the partnership.
“This is about entrepreneurial opportunities. It is also about finding a meaningful way to instruct our children while parents are working.”
The national Head Start office is also dedicated to ensuring its teachers and support staff realize the importance of diversity and inclusion.
It has an online webinar series that promotes anti-bias and anti-racism strategy and “also complement Head Start’s history of anti-racism in action.”
Topics for the four-part series include: Exploring terminology and engaging in challenging conversations about racism; Discussing children’s understanding of race and identity development; Developing anti-bias teaching practices; Examining principles and policies for human resource systems that honor diversity, equity, and inclusion; and Exploring intersections of health and racial equity to support the wellness of children, families, and staff.
To view the webinar, visit www.eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov
For more information on the Urban League Head Start and YWCA Metro St. Louis respective programs, please visit www.ulstl.com/head start or www.ywcastl.org.