Head Start/GSRP Resources
Parent Resources
- Transportation
- Events
- Useful Links for Parents
- Health Requirements and Information
- Family Advocate
- Sending your Child to School
Transportation
Kalamazoo RESA Head Start transportation services are contracted through Dean Transportation. KRESA Head Start is committed to providing transportation to as many families as possible.
- You may be offered transportation for your child to the site/classroom, however, transportation is not guaranteed.
- First priority is given to families who have children that need to be picked up or dropped off at child care and/or live more than 1 mile from the classroom site.
- In order to receive transportation families must live within the route area.
- Transportation services are not door-to-door.
Note: The health and safety of students and transportation staff are of paramount importance. Students and staff are required to wear face masks/coverings, use hand sanitizer, conduct a daily health screener, and practice physical distancing when possible. Buses are disinfected between each route.
Family Responsibilities
- Families will treat staff in a courteous and respectful manner.
- Families will be at the bus stop 10 minutes before the bus is due to be at the stop. The bus driver will wait 3 minutes at a stop.
- If there is no one at the stop to get the child off the bus, the child will be returned to the school if the drop off is in the mid-day, or the transportation office at the end of the day.
- Transportation will attempt to contact families if the child has to be returned to the school or to the transportation office.
- Keep Child Information Card (CIC) updated, especially phone numbers and emergency contact information. Children will only be released to an authorized person listed on the Child’s CIC and presents photo ID. Contact your classroom teacher and transportation if you need to make a change to your information.
- Children being picked up from child care must dressed and ready to board the bus when it arrives. Families should communicate this expectation to their child care provider.
- Child care providers will remain present while the child is boarding and exiting the bus.
- An authorized person will remain with the child at the stop and escort their child to and from the bus.
- Families will contact transportation if their child will not be riding the bus at (269) 250-9861.
- If the child is not at a stop for three consecutive days without contacting transportation, bus services will be suspended until transportation is notified.
- Allow transportation up to two weeks to make a transportation change.
- Families should understand that for the first couple of weeks the routes may not run on time.
Program Responsibilities
- Head Start and transportation staff will treat families in a courteous and respectful manner.
- Children will be kept safe.
- Children will only be released to authorized people listed on the Child Information Card.
- Buses will do their best to be on time. If the buses are more than 10 minutes late, transportation will make every attempt to contact families.
- The program will try to accommodate transportation requests as long as time permits, and the change is within the transportation route.
- Bus drivers will wait 3 minutes at a stop before moving on to the next stop.
For questions or concerns about Head Start transportation, please call Dean Transportation at (269) 250-9861.
Events
- ABRIENDO PUERTAS/OPENING DOORS
- HEALTH SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (HSAC) MEETINGS
- MARCH IS READING MONTH
- PARENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS
- PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
- POLICY COUNCIL MEETINGS
- ROCK ‘N ROLL INTO SUMMER
- SUPERMEN: MALE ENGAGEMENT & NETWORKING
ABRIENDO PUERTAS/OPENING DOORS
HEALTH SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (HSAC) MEETINGS
HSAC is an opportunity to establish ongoing partnerships between Head Start families, staff and community agencies to connect families to resources, help establish priorities and plan interventions, build community networks and raise awareness for better health.
Kalamazoo RESA Service Center
1819 East Milham Avenue, Portage, MI 49002
MARCH IS READING MONTH
PARENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
Do you want to learn more about social emotional learning (SEL) and how you can support your child at home? Come to our parent support groups to find out more! Food and childcare are provided and each family will receive a calm down tool to use at home. Location and times vary.
Contact your Family Advocate for details.
POLICY COUNCIL MEETINGS
ROCK ‘N ROLL INTO SUMMER
SUPERMEN: MALE ENGAGEMENT & NETWORKING
Useful Links for Parents
-
Advocacy Services for Kids (ASK)
Is a non-profit community organization that serves families and their children who have developmental, mood, emotional or behavioral challenges at no cos to the family. -
Born Learning
Born Learning is a public engagement campaign that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers explore ways to turn everyday moments into fun learning opportunities. -
Child Care Resources
Help find quality childcare or get help with what to look for when finding Child Care Resources is a Great Start Regional Child Care Resource Center, one of nine across Michigan. The Regional Child Care Resource Centers coordinate supports and services for child care providers across all settings, and coordinates supports and services for families searching for licensed and registered child care. Questions? Contact Ella Fabel Ryder at CCR, call 800-343-3470, ext. 227 or email Ella@CCR4kids.org. -
Kalamazoo Public Library
A good resource for information of all sorts. -
Michigan Alliance for Families
Michigan Alliance for Families provides information, support, and education for families who have children (birth through 26 years of age) who receive (or may be eligible to receive) special education services. This website can help you with finding information on educational issues as well as disability specific information. -
PBS
Link to find your local PBS television schedule or to find games for kids. Also a great resource for PBS Parents. -
Preprimary Evaluation Team (PET)
The PET program provides developmental assessment and planning for children ages birth through 6-years-old who reside within one of the following school districts: Climax-Scotts, Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Gull Lake, Kalamazoo, Parchment, Portage, Schoolcraft, or Vicksburg. -
Project Find Michigan
Build Up helps parents and their children, ages 3 through 5, get additional educational support as they begin and continue to learn the skills needed to enter kindergarten. -
State of Michigan Great Start Website
Link to the Great Start website for the entire state of Michigan. -
Zero to Three
Information for professionals and parents. Zero to Three also keeps you updated on what is happening in public policy in Michigan for young children.
Health Requirements and Information
Family Advocate
Sending your Child to School
Clothing
Please dress your child in comfortable play clothes. Children's clothing must be easy for them to manage. Belts, buckles and snaps can become frustrating for preschoolers, so please keep this in mind. Children will be involved in messy activities such as painting, gluing, play dough, and sand/water play. Therefore, each child must have a change of clothes at school in case it is needed (shirt, pants, underwear, socks). Please label all clothing and keep sizes and seasons in mind.
The best shoes for school are tennis or rubber soled shoes. Other shoes may be dangerous both in the classroom and outside. Please - no open-toed shoes. When your child wears boots to school, be sure to send shoes to wear in the classroom. When jewelry is worn by children to school, Head Start will not be responsible for items that are lost, broken or given away. Therefore, please leave all jewelry at home.
Outdoor Play
Active play is an important part of your child’s development, and for this reason, we play outside every day! Outdoor play is part of our daily classroom routine. All children go outside to play unless it is too cold or raining. During the winter months, please make sure your child has a jacket, snow pants, boots, hat, and mittens. During sunny weather, make sure your child has sun-protective clothing. If your child needs sunscreen, please apply it before sending the child to school.
Classroom Rules
Our classroom expectations:
- Always be KIND
- Be SAFE
- CARE for the environment
Toilet Training
Toilet training is a normal process for children of this age, and we at Head Start understand that each child will learn this at their own pace. Regardless of whether your child is toilet trained or not, we ask that parents send a complete change of clothing to school as accidents do happen.
If your child soils him/herself at school, staff will change them and send home the soiled clothing. Please make sure to send another change of clothing to school the next day.
If your child is experiencing problems with toilet training, we will work with you and your child. Since toilet training is a very important step in your child's development, we encourage you to take an active role to help make the experience a positive one.