CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu
Drake University will co-host an open house at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, to welcome community members to a new Head Start toddler classroom and socialization room.
The new spaces are housed in Covenant Presbyterian Church, which is co-sponsoring the event, at 1025 28th Street in West Des Moines.
Visitors will have the opportunity to take tours and Head Start staff members will be available to answer questions about the program. Featured speakers from the Head Start program will also be included in the church service at 10:30 a.m.
“The community open house provides us with a great opportunity to show the community our new classroom for toddlers, as well as our socialization room that can be used for our Early Head Start and Head Start Home Based program,” said Georgia Sheriff, director of Head Start and Early Head Start at Drake.
“It is a pleasure to expand the partnership with Covenant Presbyterian Church.”
Drake Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age five and their families. The programs are child-focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
Both programs provide a range of individualized services in the areas of education, medical, dental and mental health, nutrition and social service to children and their families. Parent involvement is encouraged and support is offered for children with disabilities. Ten percent of the programs’ total enrollment opportunities are made available to children with disabilities.
Drake Head Start provides services in Polk, Boone, Story, Jasper, Marion and Warren counties. For more information or to enroll in the program, call 515-271-1854 or 1-800-44-DRAKE extension 1854.