Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care Celebrates Head Start Awareness Month

The Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) continues to celebrate Head Start Awareness Month by elevating the tremendous positive impact of the program. Earlier this month, Governor Kotek proclaimed October as Head Start Awareness Month to honor the enduring legacy and vital work of Head Start in the lives of young children, families, and early learning professionals.

One of the dedicated early childhood education professionals with more than four decades advancing the mission of Head Start is Suey Linzmeier who is the executive director of Head Start of Yamhill County.

“I love being a part of that bigger piece, and I love providing that hope to families that no matter what stuff is going on, there are people that care about them, people that can connect them, key people that will be thinking about their family and helping them to make their dreams come true,” said Linzmeier whose Head Start story is featured in this video.

Photo courtesy of Suey Linzmeier. Linzmeier is the executive director of Head Start of Yamhill County.

Oregon joined Head Start in 1965—with local organizations and the Oregon Head Start Association helping to provide services across the state.  In the following decades, Head Start grew from a short-term summer program into a year-round comprehensive support system for children and families. The state deepened its commitment by creating the Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten (OPK) program, which has expanded to support children from prenatal to age five.

“We are proud to say that Head Start and OPK services are currently available in all 36 counties and have nurtured hundreds of thousands of children in our state,” said DELC Director Alyssa Chatterjee. “This would not be possible without the dedication of experienced professionals who exemplify the enduring legacy of the program’s mission: promoting school readiness while supporting children’s development and the well-being of their entire families.”

High-quality education is only one component of the impactful work of Head Start. Head Start programs support family well-being by connecting families to medical and dental care while helping parents achieve family goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Oregon also offers Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool support for children from Migrant and Seasonal working families, along with Tribal Head Start programs administered by the federal government.

To find a Head Start center visit: Head Start Center Locator | ECLKC (hhs.gov). To learn more about Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten/Head Start visit: https://www.oregon.gov/delc/programs/Pages/head-start-opk.aspx.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.