October is recognized as Head Start Awareness Month to highlight Head Start’s commitment to breaking the generational cycle of poverty by providing access to critical early childhood education and support to families in need. Luzerne County Head Start has been a local leader in these efforts since the inception of the national Head Start program in 1965.

In celebration of Head Start Awareness Month, LCHS welcomed guest readers to its Beekman Street Center in Wilkes-Barre.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown read “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss to Classroom 12 and presented a proclamation for Head Start Awareness Month.

Cody Forgach, Northeast Pennsylvania regional representative for U.S. Senator John Fetterman and a former Head Start student, read “Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Big White Ghost” to Classroom 10.

Cody attended LCHS in Nanticoke as a child and shared the positive impact that Head Start had on his life. He also spoke to LCHS leadership about the issues facing Head Start and the importance of investing in high-quality early childhood education.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Jessica Suda Baab never hesitates to share her Head Start story. 

“Whenever anyone mentions Head Start, I burst with joy and enthusiastically proclaim my love for the program, and how it changed my life,” she said. “I am glad I never have to know what my life would be like had I not attended. I truly don’t think I would be where I am today without it.”  

Growing up in Dorrance, Jessica attended Luzerne County Head Start from 1990 to 1992, first at Rice Elementary School in Mountain Top, then at the Nanticoke Center.

“My mom was single-handedly raising my three older brothers and me while working full time, advocating for my oldest brother who was struggling with the challenging gift of dyslexia, and navigating a difficult divorce from my father who was battling alcoholism,” she said. “While there was no shortage of love in our home, my mom knew that the encouraging support and structure from an early learning center would have a great influence on me both emotionally and educationally.” 

Jessica still remembers the positive impact her Head Start teacher had on her. It was the first time anyone other than her mother was enthusiastic about each of her accomplishments in class. That encouragement fueled Jessica to be creative, kind and curious. 

“My mother was relieved and proud to see my potential recognized during a difficult time,” Jessica said. “My transition to kindergarten was a seamless one, and that was all because of Head Start.”

Jessica graduated from Crestwood High School in 2006 and earned her bachelor’s degree in theatre: general studies from West Chester University in 2010. After graduation, she began working at KISS Theatre Company (Kids Innovating Stage & Sound) in Wilkes-Barre and eventually became its executive director. 

She credits Head Start with providing a strong foundation for her educational pursuits and being a creative catalyst for outlets like drawing, arts and crafts, and eventually theatre.  

“During my adolescence, I never was 100% sure what I wanted to do for a career. The only thing I did know was that I enjoyed working with people, and I wanted to help make their lives better and easier,” Jessica said. “Head Start ensured that if I worked hard and was kind to those around me, I would be successful in whatever path I chose.”

Today, Jessica is the philanthropic services coordinator at the Luzerne Foundation. She also serves on the boards of KISS and the Fine Arts Fiesta. She lives in Mountain Top with her husband, Kevin, and their son, Brody.  

Jessica is proud to be a Head Start alumna, and she remains grateful to the program for its meaningful and lifelong impact. 

“I thought everyone attended Head Start. It did not occur to me until much later in my life that my family had to meet specific criteria to attend,” she said. “Head Start provided the equity to allow me to succeed alongside my fellow peers. I am most thankful for the friendships, encouragement, educational structure, and the relief and support it provided my mom during a difficult time.”

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Luzerne County Head Start is expanding its home-based Early Head Start program and looking for additional family educators to provide child development and family support services to expecting parents, infants and toddlers up to age 3. Click here to learn more and submit an application. Four LCHS family educators shared why they were drawn to a career in Early Head Start.

Jessica Schneider – Edwardsville

When Jessica Schneider walks up to the front door for a home visit, there’s nothing like seeing the toddlers in her caseload smiling and jumping up and down.

Jessica first came to Luzerne County Head Start as a substitute teacher in 2011 and then moved into an itinerant associate teacher role. When the agency had an opening for a family educator in its Early Head Start program, Jessica knew it was something she wanted to do.

“I love working with the entire family,” she said. “The parents are their child’s first and most important teacher and I am able to help them be successful in that role.”

Jessica takes pride in seeing the children’s growth over time, like Joseph, who she’s been working with since he was only 3 weeks old. Alongside Joseph’s mother, Jessica helped him with tummy time, sitting up without support, crawling, pulling himself up and eventually walking. He is now 27 months old and they have progressed to identifying pictures and body parts, stringing large beads and other learning activities. Soon, they will begin the transition process for Head Start.

“Being a family educator is very rewarding,” Jessica said. “A family educator position is ideal for you if you like to make a difference. Family educators support the overall success of families and the child will learn more if their family is doing well.”

When a child in her caseload reaches a milestone like a first step or word, Alyssa Meyers shares in the family’s excitement.

As a family educator, it’s also rewarding when she’s able to guide a family through a situation, then eventually see them grow from the experience and take the steps she taught them to reach a goal.

Working in Early Head Start appealed to Alyssa because of its two-generation approach.

“I really enjoy working with children and the fact that you get to work hand in hand with the family in their environment is such an amazing benefit,” she said. “Not only are you working with children, but you’re also working with the parents and seeing where the learning is actually happening.”

For example, when a child’s assessment scores were on the lower side, Alyssa focused on the area in need of attention and provided the child’s mother with additional resources and activities. By the time of the next assessment, the child’s scores had improved.

“Just by working with the family those four weeks and giving Mom some extra guidance, we were able to see such a big improvement,” Alyssa said. “I love the statement ‘You are your child’s first and most important teacher’ because it is so true and once the parents understand this, you can see a huge improvement.”

Alyssa said she would encourage others to look into a family educator role because it’s not just a job, it’s a career where you will want to grow.

“This is the most rewarding job you will have as an educator,” she said.

Julie Winters – Wilkes-Barre

Julie Winters wanted a career that allowed her not only to work with young children, but help their families thrive.

As an Early Head Start family educator, Julie provides comprehensive child development and family support services. This includes working on developmental milestones with children, helping families set and achieve goals, and much more.

“I adore working with babies and toddlers. I also enjoy helping the parents understand child development,” Julie said. “It’s very rewarding to see the child’s progress, but even more so when you know you helped the parents be their child’s first and most important teacher.”

For Julie, it’s meaningful to see the two-generation impact. She would also recommend the family educator role to others if they’re looking for a career that allows for a good work-life balance.

“The fulfillment of knowing you have helped make a difference not only in the child’s life, but in the lives of the entire family is the best part of this job for me,” Julie said. “I also adore my coworkers and supervisors as they are helpful, caring and can make the work day fun. For a single mom, working someplace that offers paid holidays off the same as the school schedule is extremely helpful to me and my two daughters.”

Jesselyn Fernandez – Hazleton

For Jesselyn Fernandez, being an Early Head Start family educator is all about building connections with families.

“I always try to create an environment where the family feels safe and willing to talk about anything,” she said. “I love witnessing families accomplish goals, whether it’s getting their license, passing their citizenship exam, or even taking steps to enroll into school or a program to pursue a career because sometimes, the most difficult thing to do is start.”

Jesselyn was drawn to the home visiting program because it gave her the opportunity to work directly with families on enhancing their littles ones’ development. She had previously worked with prenatal mothers and loved being a source of support for them.

When she sees how excited the children get for her home visits or hear they were asking about her throughout the week, it makes her feel like the time she spent with the family was valuable.

In addition to the rewarding experiences with families, Jesselyn said she would encourage others to consider a career as a family educator because of the benefits LCHS offers, including extended paid holiday breaks that match the schedule of her school-aged daughter.

“It’s incredible how you don’t see how fast the time has gone until you’re getting ready to help the child transition into Head Start and start reminiscing on the silly moments you and the family have witnessed watching their child grow through the years,” Jesselyn said.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Luzerne County Head Start is inviting former students to apply for its merit-based, competitive scholarship program. 

Now in its 39th year, the LCHS Alumni Scholarship Program – funded by businesses, organizations and individuals in the community – honors the achievements of former Head Start students set to graduate from high school and continue their education. In May, LCHS awarded $22,000 in scholarships to 16 seniors from seven school districts in Luzerne and Wyoming counties, bringing the total to $355,450 since the program’s inception. A total of 349 scholarships have been issued to students to offset the cost of higher education.  

The scholarship program is open to Head Start alumni who are graduating from high school in June 2025 and planning to attend a college/university or vocational/technical school. 

The Scholarship Committee of the LCHS Board of Directors chooses recipients based on academic performance, personal achievements, leadership, motivation and school and community involvement. Scholarships will be awarded during the LCHS 60th Anniversary Luncheon on May 19.  

Download the application here. Applications should be filled out and emailed to lchsscholarship@hsweb.org or mailed to Luzerne County Head Start, Inc., 23 Beekman St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702, Attn: Brooke Williams. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 24, at 4 p.m. 

LCHS is also seeking new scholarship sponsors for this year’s program. For more information about sponsoring or applying for a scholarship, call 570-829-6231 ext. 356 or email brookew@hsweb.org.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

A boost in federal funding will allow Luzerne County Head Start to extend the reach of its income-based Early Head Start program. 

LCHS receives over $10 million annually from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, for its Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Recently, HHS increased LCHS’s annual funding by $807,385 through a nationally competitive grant opportunity that allowed for Early Head Start expansion. HHS made $6,922,114 available to ACF Region III, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C.

Early Head Start is a home-based program that provides child development and family support services to expecting parents, infants and toddlers up to age 3 using a two-generation approach. LCHS offers Early Head Start services in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Edwardsville, Exeter and Tunkhannock. Family educators conduct weekly home visits, and families may attend socialization events at their Early Head Start center. 

With this award, LCHS increased its federally funded enrollment for Early Head Start by 50 children, bringing the total to 222. (The United Way of Wyoming Valley funds 10 additional Early Head Start children.) 

Infants and toddlers in the Wilkes-Barre, Edwardsville and Exeter areas are the focus of the expansion. Eligible families interested in enrolling may fill out an application at lcheadstart.org or call 570-829-6231 for more information. 

Additionally, LCHS will hire five family educators with a tentative November start date to serve the new caseloads. Applications are being accepted on the agency’s website. An Early Head Start Career Fair is scheduled for Friday, October 11, from noon to 4 p.m. at the LCHS Beekman Street Center, 23 Beekman St., Wilkes-Barre. On-site interviews will be held, and candidates are encouraged to bring their resume.

“We are thrilled to expand our Early Head Start program,” said LCHS Executive Director Lynn Evans Biga. “We know that to support the development of the whole child, we must focus on the whole family. We look forward to creating pathways to success for even more children and families in our community.” 

Cindy Lange, whose 3-year-old son Kaiden went through Wilkes-Barre Early Head Start and transitioned to Head Start this year, praised the program for its hands-on approach and focus on cooperative play. 

She said Early Head Start helped Kaiden develop his gross and fine motor skills, learn his shapes, colors, alphabet and numbers, and understand the importance of proper hygiene and healthy eating.

Along with supporting Kaiden in achieving these milestones, their family educator was skilled in being able to recognize when intervention and evaluation were needed, Lange added. 

“It’s a wonderful program that I encourage all parents of young children to explore,” Lange said.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate