Families who are struggling have an avenue to turn to

By Ginna Young

Many people take advantage of the services offered through Head Start and Early Head Start, but not all – especially in the rural areas of Cadott, Cornell and Holcombe.

“For some reason, we are not hitting all of the families that are in need and qualify for our program,” said education coordinator Penny Holzwarth.

The CESA 11 service area of the Chippewa Valley is federally funded, which makes the program free for families. Serving expectant families through age five, Early Head Start provides not only education to the family unit, but also nutrition information and mental health resources.

“Head Start has been around for a number of years, and we’ve been active in this area,” said Holzwarth.

With Early Head Start, CESA knows that families respond best in familiar surroundings, which is why it is home-based.

“So, we come right to the family,” said Holzwarth. Through the program, families can be connected to resources, when they are in need of housing or transportation.

“You know what, parenting is hard,” said Holzwarth. “If we can ease that load a little bit, we want to be able to do that.”

To reach the Chippewa Falls service center, parents can call 715-723-1211 or visit headstart.cesa11.k12.wi.us.

Each family is different, and could be in search of medical and dental services, but they might not be sure what they are eligible to receive.

“We really individualize families’ needs,” said Holzwarth.