Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester Announces Head Start Program

Mount Kisco, NY (November 2023) -- Continuing its long-standing tradition of serving the Northern Westchester community, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester (BGCNW) has announced its new Head Start Preschool Program, a free early childhood program serving children ages 3-5 from eligible low-income families.

The BGCNW’s preschool program began over 35 years ago. Since its inception, the program has been geared toward providing quality, affordable early childhood education. The developmentally appropriate curriculum, which includes physical education, literacy, STEAM, music, nutrition, and social-emotional intelligence, is designed to help children be ready for kindergarten. A unique feature of the program is the inclusion of twice-weekly swimming lessons. With drowning being one of the top causes of death for children under the age of 6, water safety is a critical life skill.

While they have a decades-long history of providing preschool programming, the Club is thrilled to be able to expand their programming to make it even more accessible to the community. Due to a longstanding partnership with the Bedford Central School District, the Club was chosen, along with one other childcare center, as a vendor for the Universal Pre-K program.

The goal of the BGCNW Head Start program is to provide children with the tools and services they need to succeed in school and life through learning experiences tailored to their current needs and abilities. The program includes services that support early learning and development, health and wellness, and family well-being.

The program, which uses the Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies, is designed to build children’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based investigations and reinforce learning with family-friendly activities designed for home. All learning concepts are promoted in both English and Spanish – the home language of many of our members.

“I am very grateful to the Boys & Girls Club Head Start because it gives my child the opportunity to share with other children and learn more things. My child is very happy to have friends and seeing a smile on my child’s face is greatly satisfying. The Head Start program and BGCNW are a blessing for many mothers who need help in the education of our children”, says parent Brenda Muñoz.

In addition, the Head Start program supports the health and wellness of each child through fitness activities, nutrition, and wellness screenings. Physical development is promoted with both indoor and outdoor activities and twice-weekly swimming lessons. Children receive breakfast, lunch, and a healthy snack prepared by Ladle of Love. The Office of Head Start coordinates with BGCNW to provide medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screenings.

The program includes a Family Advocate who coordinates with parents to support at-home learning and to connect the children and families to additional support services. The Family Advocate helps families to identify and reach their goals related to housing, employment, education, and parenting. They also coordinate with the parent committee and facilitate parent education sessions monthly. Advocates schedule home visits to better assess and understand the family’s needs and dynamics and to help them understand and support their child’s mental health and behavioral needs.

For more information, visit https://bgcnw.com/