Christian County Head Start will host a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the national Head Start program and its longstanding presence in Western Kentucky.
The event, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at 1355 Glass Avenue in Hopkinsville, will feature proclamations from local elected officials, remarks from Head Start leadership, a recorded message from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and guided tours of the facility.
“Head Start’s birthday is actually May 18th, which is this Sunday,” said Faith Holley, outreach coordinator for Audubon Area Community Services. “So we chose May 16th as a day for all of our Head Start sites to celebrate Head Start’s 60th birthday.”
The Head Start program was established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Its goal has remained consistent: supporting low-income children and their families by preparing them for kindergarten and beyond.
“Head Start was part of the 1965 War on Poverty by Lyndon Johnson and it’s really meant to give kids who are facing poverty and their families a head start with their child’s life,” Holley said. “A lot of folks might think that Head Start is just child care, but it’s really a whole lot more than that.”
Holley said the program provides comprehensive services, including nutrition, health care, and strong parental involvement.
“We even really involve the parents in the education of the child because there’s a lot of benefit to having that whole family involved in educating that preschooler,” she said.
Audubon Area Community Services operates the program in Christian County and across 16 counties in Western Kentucky, serving approximately 1,800 children in total. Around 200 of those children are in the Hopkinsville location alone.
Holley noted that roughly 50% of students in Kentucky are not prepared for kindergarten, showing the importance of Head Start programs in communities.
“Our Head Start program makes sure that those kids are ready,” she said. “I wish we could serve more, but funding’s limited right now.”
Head Start also prioritizes vulnerable populations.
“If a child is in foster care, they are eligible,” Holley said. “There’s certain income guidelines for the family as well, and we also serve roughly 30% of our Head Start population—our children—with some sort of learning or physical disability.”
Audubon Area Community Services, which oversees the regional Head Start programs, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The organization formed in 1975 when two community action agencies—one based in Owensboro and the other in Henderson—merged to pool their resources.
“When we became one, Head Start was with us from the very beginning,” Holley said. “The organization has now grown to 700 employees serving 36 counties in Western Kentucky.”
The public is invited to Friday’s celebration, which Holley said will provide a closer look at the program’s mission and impact.
“After we have those remarks and some refreshments, we’re also going to have guided tours of the facility so that folks can see Head Start at work,” she said.
