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Giving Kids a Head Start.

When Growing Futures launched in 1965, it was one of the first Head Start programs in the country. More than 50 years later, the Johnson County nonprofit is still providing early education opportunities and family support services to the community – and the job is only getting bigger, says Director of Development and Community Relations Jessica Hoffman.

“Poverty has continued to increase,” she says. “Right now, there are over 32,000 people in Johnson County who are living below the poverty threshold.”

More than 3,000 of those Johnson County residents are children 5 and under, according to United Community Services of Johnson County data, and thousands more people earn just over the threshold, which is $21,780 for a family of three. During the past decade, Johnson County's population grew by 20 percent, but the number of people living in poverty increased by 134 percent. While Growing Futures started by serving 17 preschoolers in 1965, today it serves over 222 kids annually and maintains a waitlist filled with other kids and families who have need of the nonprofit’s services. A HELPING HAND

Growing Futures is one of several Head Start programs serving Johnson County. President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the Head Start program in the same year Growing Futures was founded, and although offerings have evolved over the decades, the nationwide program aims to promote the health and school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families in communities around the country.

Growing Futures offers numerous programs to address those needs. Home-based Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants, and toddlers up to age 3, providing home visits and group socialization activities that promote secure parent-child relationships and supports parents in offering quality early-learning experiences. Children 6 weeks to 3 years old can participate in the Early Head Start, a program based on site at Growing Future’s Early Education Center. An on-site preschool program is also available for kids 3 to 5 years old.

Staff members observe children for mental health or behavioral concerns and work closely with parents to support children through consultations, counseling, and play therapy. Additionally, Growing Futures’ disabilities and school readiness specialists identify kids with disabilities and coordinate services to help them be successful.

But the organization doesn’t just work to help kids – it can connect participating families with community resources and support systems, whether they’re facing food insecurity or want help reviewing a resume. Comprehensive family services also ensure families receive dental exams and vision screenings.

“They’re essentially getting their head start, as well,” Hoffman says of parents.

ADAPTING TO COVID-19

Already contending with increased need in the community, Growing Futures has been further challenged by COVID-19. In the spring, the nonprofit shifted its programming to offer remote virtual learning opportunities to children and families. Children came back to school in early September to a hybrid virtual and in-person model.

“We have a phenomenal staff, and they have been very flexible and very able to pivot on very short notice in these ever-changing times,” Hoffman says. “They’ve been so creative and so adaptive.” But the program experience is far from the only facet of operations affected by the pandemic. Hoffman says an increasing number of families have been applying to Growing Futures programs this year as households lose sources of income. Meanwhile, funding options are becoming more limited.

Although Growing Futures receives federal funding, they’re responsible for raising more than $400,000 annually through monetary donations, in-kind donations, or volunteer hours, which requires support from community partners, corporate sponsors, and individuals. Grants the organization normally could have applied for have shifted to provide more targeted COVID relief, and individual donors and community partners may be hesitant to make a donation during a period of such economic uncertainty.

“Donations are slowly trickling in, but it’s taking a lot

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of creativity to host fundraisers now in a virtual climate,” Hoffman says.

Growing Futures accepts monetary donations online, but there are plenty of other ways community members can get involved, from volunteering on outdoor projects at the center, to donating supplies on the organization’s wish list, which range from classroom items like paper and books to health supplies such as diapers and disinfecting wipes. Growing Futures has also partnered with The Ripple, which Hoffman describes as an online marketplace where people can sell items and have the proceeds go directly to a nonprofit of their choice.

Help is needed now more than ever as new families continue to apply to Growing Futures’ programs, Hoffman says.

“We have a waitlist we maintain of at least 100 children at all times, so the need is definitely there, and that’s leading us to try to grow and expand, as well,” she explains. “We’re hoping to launch a capital campaign soon for a new facility.”

To learn more about Growing Futures, including how to help, visit growingfutureseec.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelsey Cipolla is a local writer, editor, and social media specialist. Kelsey has covered everything from the Kansas City culinary scene to home design, health, fitness trends, hidden gems, and nonprofit in the Kansas City community.

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