Richardson Community School

Head Start (HS) is one of the most successful and longest-running national school readiness programs in the United States. Located at two early learning community schools, KCPS serves 460 students through this federally funded comprehensive program that provides supports for academics, family services, health, nutrition, mental health and disabilities. Teachers implement the Project Construct Curriculum and utilize the Project Approach to develop kindergarten readiness skills such as letter recognition, emergent writing, literacy, mathematics and social-emotional development.

Each child is authentically assessed through the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) three times per year. While students will learn the academic skills that are important for kindergarten, they will also learn to socialize, care for others, think critically, recognize healthy choices and manage those strong emotions that arise from frustrating and stressful situations. Families also benefit from this whole-child approach. Each family is assigned a Family Advocate that assists with family goal-setting, health and wellness, crisis intervention and resource and referral. To enroll in this program, families must income-qualify. Parents must provide their own transportation.

How do I enroll in Head Start?

Because Head Start is an income eligible program, families must first apply to see if they meet the qualifications. We use a centralized intake enrollment process through the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) who serves all Head Start programs in our area. To apply, you can:

• To schedule an appointment, please call MARC Head Start at 816-841-3382 or visit this webpage
• For more information, you can reach our KCPS Head Start Enrollment Specialist at 816-418-5295 or jherrmann@kcpublicschools.org