Category: Newsletter

Head Start: Celebrating 60 Years!!!

My name is Jennifer Akin, and I’m excited to be the new Head Start Director. I’m passionate about early childhood education, and I want to remind you why Head Start is so important for young children and families.

Head Start is a program that helps children get a strong start in life. We offer children from age two to five the support they need to do well in school and beyond. Since it started in 1965, Head Start has been helping children by providing not only education but also health care, family support, and social-emotional development.

The first few years of a child’s life are critical for learning and development. When children are given a positive, supportive environment during this time, it prepares them for future challenges and success. Research shows that children in Head Start programs are more likely to perform well academically, build strong relationships, and thrive as they grow older.

For many families, Head Start offers an opportunity for a brighter future. It’s not just about academics—it’s about creating pathways to a better life and breaking the cycle of poverty.

There are many ways to support Head Start in our communities. You can volunteer, work for or simply share information about the program with others. If you know a family who could benefit from Head Start, reach out to us. We are currently accepting applications for the upcoming year.

Together, we can help every child get the strong start they deserve.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federally funded non-profit program that promotes healthy eating using USDA guidelines for meals being served in Family Day Care Homes, Childcare Centers, and Adult and Special Need Centers. It is administered by the Kentucky Department of Education using Federal Funding. Central Kentucky Community Action, Inc (CKCAC) currently serves in 18 counties as a CACFP Sponsor for 25 Family Child Care Homes, 22 Childcare Centers (with 2 additional centers in the application process) and 1 Emergency Shelter.

CACFP monthly reimbursements are based on the number of creditable meals served and the eligibility of the children being served. Participants in the Food Program may be Infants up to 12-year-olds in Family Day Care Homes and/or Centers, and up to 18-year-olds for Emergency Shelters. Up to 3 meals per child may be claimed each day in the CACFP, which is generally Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon (PM) Snack.

CACFP helps providers serve healthy meals; keep tuition low, making childcare affordable for parents; and provides access to nutrition education. If you have a Family Child Care Home or a Center, or know of someone who does, please contact CKCAC’s Food Program Director Kathy Hagan at kathy.hagan@ckcac.org or 270-692-2136 X501 for more information about the CACFP.

March is an important month for CKCAC. Spring brings new opportunities for growth as the flowers and trees begin their growth.

This month, our new CSBG Director joins us. Her name is Katrina Wilbanks and she is going to be a great asset to our agency. If you are a community partner who works with our CSBG office, please be on the lookout for Katrina and introduce yourself.

LIHEAP Crisis funding has been extended through the end of March. If you have community members at risk of having their gas or electricity shut off due to past due balances, please have them contact our local CSBG offices.

Our previous Executive Director, Hal B. Goode, has rejoined CKCAC as a consultant to help explore housing needs in our area. Hal is also helping strengthen our marketing and social media efforts to share the wonderful news of CKCAC. Hal will be reaching out to community partners for advice on both of these things, so be sure to give Hal your input!

CKCAC is continuing to monitor policy changes at the federal and state levels. I am in constant contact with our Congressional and General Assembly delegations and will continue to work across the Community Action network to identify areas of growth. I want to ensure the longevity and success of CKCAC and appreciate any support you can provide on this journey. We are all in this together!

Thank you for all you do.

Spring is here and the Community Collaboration for Children is busy planning April Child Abuse Awareness Month. We have pinwheels and signs that will be distributed among our 8 counties. We are having a Caregivers conference at the Nelson County Civic Center on April 16^th 8:30-1:00. Contact Ronda Bertrand to register ronda.bertrand@ckcac.org.

Parent Engagement Meeting Program helping to prevent truancy in Washington, Elizabethtown City and Hardin County Elementary schools. Currently, we are serving Radcliff and Creekside with plans to expand into all of Hardin County Elementary schools.

Trail of Hope Regional Networks Build A Bed program has been extremely busy already making sure 127 children have a bed. We are working on sponsorships to purchase bed frames, mattresses, bedding, and pillows. Trail of Hope Regional Network will meet in person at Hardin County Extension Office in Elizabethtown at 10:00 AM on March 11^th and our last meeting will be May 20^th. If you are interested in being a network member please reach out to Ronda Bertrand, CCC Network Coordinator at 270-692-7553.

Wow!! Cakes 4 Kids volunteers have been busy the past several months. CCC has delivered 6 cakes to our families.

The Senior Companion Program (SCP) is actively looking for volunteers and our numbers are growing!

Been working on our United Way Grant and meeting with Ms. Sharon Bach for this years grant.

The meal numbers were down a little due to the cold weather, centers being closed in January because of the weather, some were closed for several days.

Getting games, puzzles activities for each center from the Veterans Program we were given. The seniors were asked for suggestions they would like new at the center. Congregate Meals is hoping to get the seniors to come back into the centers to congregate with their friends.

We are excited for our upcoming new Hardin County kitchen at the new building in Elizabethtown, very different inside from my first visit there.

We are still shorthanded in Grayson needing a part-time cook. I had completed interviews for the Coordinator position so we are hopeful.

You can join seniors across the country who are giving back by signing up to be an RSVP volunteer right in your community. Contact us at (270)737-1059 to hear about some of the opportunities we have open in Nelson and Hardin Counties. Our volunteers serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week. You chose how, where, and when you want to serve. AmeriCorps RSVP volunteers report better health and social connection having served their community.

CKCATS trip capacity continues to increase. I am happy to report that we have increased the number of Medicare trips. We are now completing Medicare trips in 12 counties. My goal last year was to increase drivers so that I could increase the counties in which we provide Medicare trips; this goal has been accomplished! We do not need approval to pick up counties for Medicare like we do for Medicaid. This makes it easier to expand Medicare services in various counties.

Nukem Graphics completed a van wrap in Marion County. The wrap contains information advertising all of the services that CATS provides. We are planning to do wraps just like these in all counties.  We continue to think about creative ways to advertise our services

December and January are always slower months for CATS due to the winter weather. In hazardous weather, we will provide limited services for dialysis and chemo clients only, if we are able to get to them safely. Safety is and will continue to be our number one goal for our drivers and our clients.

CKCATS received the 11 new buses that we ordered through KPTA Bid#11 in November. These buses are all 2025 Ford E350’s and come equipped with the essentials needed for transport. These vans will be registered and thoroughly inspected before being utilized and will be divided out between our 5 counties by the needs of the county.

CKCATS will hold their annual Public Hearing on February 26^th at the Central Office in Lebanon at 1 pm EST. This meeting is held to discuss the transportation needs of our counties and is advertised to the public. We encourage anyone who is interested in public transportation to attend.

As always, a huge thank you to the CKCATS staff for their hard work!

CKCATS is currently fully staffed, but we are continuing to accept applications for future hiring. If you or anyone you know would like to join the staff at CKCATS, please go to careers@ckcac.org to apply.

As I reflect on this first month as your Executive Director, I am honored to be able to serve you and your communities. It has been a challenging month, but we know the importance of Central Kentucky Community Action Council to our communities and will continue to serve.

January brought us a new year, a new Presidential Administration and Congress, significant winter storms and more. Through all of this, CKCAC continues to operate and bring high-quality, necessary, and essential services to the citizens of Central Kentucky. We stand ready to work with all local, state, and federal partners to alleviate the pain that poverty causes our communities.

As we continue towards Spring, we are monitoring how policy changes at the federal and state levels may impact our work. I am in constant contact with our Congressional and General Assembly delegations and will continue to work across the Community Action network to identify areas of growth. I want to ensure the longevity and success of CKCAC and appreciate any support you can provide on this journey. We are all in this together!

Thank you for all you do.