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Head Start creates new task force

A task force has been created to make sure Head Start children are ready for kindergarten. The group will explore successful Head Start programs across the country in hopes of implementing what works for those centers here in Toledo.

There are 13 members of the Head Start Task Force. Most of them have advanced degrees, and have some sort of educational or community background. The members of the task force will be meeting weekly to try and boost the success of Toledo head start. The Toledo Community Foundation did not choose the members. Keith Burwell with the Toledo Community Foundation says, "They were vetted by community leaders. And I will say this is not the Toledo Community Foundation's task force. It's a community task force. We're only facilitating it."

He goes on to say the main role of the task force is to help make Head Start stronger. Right now, Head Start serves 2,000 children in Lucas County, and he expects that number to more than double in the future. Right now, several organizations are interested in the pre-school program now that the federal government is allowing agencies to compete to take it over.

Burwell says the group has no authority. They're just put in place to do research to help organizations who are interested in bidding. "The foundation has no opinion on the re-biding process but what we do know from our research is that if we have multiple applications coming in to HHS from our county, the likely hood of one of those being excepted is small."

And that's why several organization are looking to team up to apply for the grant jointly, so it can be run locally and better than ever. "When we look at the education of our children no matter who is running Head Start we should never be satisfied and we should never settle. So if there is someone doing something creative or better, we should look at it to see if we can put it into use in our community."