About Us
About Us
Head Start for Kent County is a non-profit agency that provides holistic, family-centered services at no cost to qualifying families in Kent County, Michigan. Founded in 1991 under the name Michigan Family Resources, the agency receives federal funds to manage both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. These early childhood programs support the well-being and development of children from birth to age five by focusing on education, parental involvement, nutrition, medical and dental care, and social services.
Educational Philosophy
Head Start believes in a holistic approach to education. A child cannot learn with hurting teeth, constant illness, or worries about food, clothing, or shelter. We partner with the parents to help ensure the child has good nutrition, good medical and dental care, and all of the basic needs met. When this happens the child has the freedom to learn, interact with peers, and intellectually grow.
Mission
To deliver comprehensive services to low-income children five and under and their families, promoting their well-being and development.
Vision
To strive to provide comprehensive services through a highly trained staff, current technology, innovative programming and diverse community partnerships that will create a strong foundation for each child’s future success.
Core Values
As an agency we uphold strong moral principles and integrity as a standard of our profession.
We continue to demonstrate the characteristics and skills to improve the effectiveness of our work.
We believe that professionalism is the key to quality.
Our belief is that EVERY human has value! We act on this belief by serving the well-being (mental, emotional, and physical) of each individual.
We are dedicated to building meaningful relationships and impacting lives!
We strive to honor and value each individual for who they are and how they want to be treated!
Expertise
The backbone of any program is only as good as the quality of the personnel. Head Start only hires qualified degreed professionals, who also have extensive experience in child development.
Head Start expects the staff to grow as well as the students, therefore provides many hours of professional development each year.
The Head Start staff also has a thorough knowledge of community resources and how to access them when families express a need. All of this is done in a structured team approach that is supportive to parents and teachers alike.
Respect
and Dignity
The Head Start staff is honored to have parents work with us, and entrust the welfare of their children to our services. Each child and each parent is treated as an individual, special in their own right.
Parents are valued as program helpers, problem solvers, and an integral part of their child’s overall education.
Our administrative staff is made up of highly qualified people who have learned a great deal through years of experience.
We are also proud of the intellectual capital and the experience our staff has in working with children. Our work with parents is also a priority and our staff respect and look forward to close collaboration with all of the adults in a child’s life.
