Pocono News Section

Head Start Finally Begins Classes

Head Start Finally Begins Classes - Monday, October 26, 2009 at 5:40PM EST

Reported by: Eyewitness News
Monday, Oct 26, 2009 @ 05:40pm EDT
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- It's back to class for more than 100 Luzerne County children.

Several Head Start and pre-kindergarten students couldn't start their programs until Monday. A state budget deadlock essentially locked them out of their classrooms.

These programs depend on state funding so much they had to cut services and lay off workers for almost two months. Now the deadlock is over, things are getting back to normal.

Eyewitness News visited Head Start in Wilkes-Barre. Head Start teacher Melissa Ferrari said, "I feel like I'm back at home now and this is my classroom and I'm eager to get them started and learning."

Ferrari is thankful her students are back building their early education. Parents of these students depend on state funding to help pay for Head Start.

Classes were supposed to start in September. For nearly two months, family worker Oneka Yearwood has told those parents, "Just be patient and wait. Eventually the budget will pass and that it did."

Late last week, families went through a quick orientation to prepare for what Head Start has to offer. "They were very, very excited. When we placed the phone call to let them know their children have been accepted into the program they were saying it's a great relief to know that their kids can get a pre-school education," said Yearwood.

During the state budget deadlock, Head Start had to lay off and reassign several teachers. Most of those teachers have been brought back, including Ferrari.

Now everyone here is ready to make up for lost time and get back on track.

The state budget deadlock also caused head start and pre-k counts classrooms shut down in Pittston and Kingston. Now that the funding has freed up, those classrooms are re-opening.