In recognition of October as Head Start Awareness Month, Luzerne County Head Start welcomed elected officials at the federal, state and local levels, as well as community leaders, to its classrooms to see the incredible impact of Head Start services on the community’s children and families.

LCHS has been a local leader in early childhood education and family development since the national Head Start program’s launch in 1965, beginning with just 90 children and families. Today, the agency is proud to offer comprehensive education, health, nutrition and social support services to more than 1,000 children from birth to age 5 and their families in Luzerne and Wyoming counties.

Special guests included Congressman Rob Bresnahan and his wife, Chelsea, who visited the Lynn Evans Biga Center in Wilkes-Barre to see the Head Start mission at work. They read “The Leaf Thief” to Head Start students in Classroom #2 and spoke with the agency’s administrative team about the vital role early childhood education plays in preparing students for success in school and life.

Their conversation highlighted the lifeline Head Start services provide, helping families pursue employment and education opportunities while accessing essential community resources, support and referrals. They also discussed the importance of not only continued federal funding for Head Start, but the need to increase funding to ensure that all children and families have access to high-quality early learning experiences and comprehensive support.

“We are grateful to Representative Bresnahan for his time, engagement and continued commitment to children, families and early education programs in our community,” said LCHS Executive Director Beth White.

LCHS also welcomed several state representatives and senators throughout the month of October to meet with members of its administrative team and read stories to children in their districts. Other visitors included city mayors and leaders from various community organizations.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

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

Now in its 40th year, the LCHS Alumni Scholarship Program – funded by businesses, organizations and individuals in the community – honors the achievements of former Head Start and Early Head Start students set to graduate from high school and continue their education. In May, LCHS awarded $25,500 in scholarships to 16 seniors from Northeast Pennsylvania, bringing the total to $380,950 since the program’s inception. 

The scholarship opportunity is available to all LCHS alumni in the class of 2026 who are planning to enroll in a college/university or vocational/technical school. This includes students who attended Pre-K Counts at LCHS. Students in local school districts served by LCHS, who attended Head Start or Early Head Start in other locations, are also eligible. 

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 agency’s 61st Anniversary Luncheon on May 18.

To download the application, click 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, January 23, 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

When fathers are active partners in their children’s learning and development, everyone benefits.

For the third year in a row, Luzerne County Head Start participated in the nationwide Million Fathers March. A project of the nonprofit Fathers Incorporated, the initiative encourages fathers, father figures and other male role models to demonstrate their commitment to their children’s education by escorting them to school.

The agency’s Head Start, Pre-K Counts and Early Head Start sites throughout Luzerne and Wyoming counties invited their children’s fathers and fathers figures for special activities, including a dance, breakfast and playground picnics. It was an incredible day for family engagement at LCHS.

Read the news coverage:

WVIA News: Head Start celebrates role of fathers, highlights their impact during events in Luzerne County

FOX 56: Luzerne County Head Start celebrates Million Fathers March with fun father-child events

The Citizens’ Voice: Luzerne County Head Start celebrates Million Father March

The Standard-Speaker: Photo gallery: Million Fathers March

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

A love for books often begins in childhood. 

That’s why Luzerne County Head Start is laying the foundation for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in its early childhood programs to become lifelong readers. 

Thanks to a grant from the PNC Foundation, LCHS launched the Head Start Home Library Project this year and hosted a series of literacy events meant to help children from birth to age 5 build up their home libraries. 

Research shows that having access to books at home is one of the strongest predictors of academic achievement. A home library not only impacts the development of children, but their future success. Children with extensive home libraries read more, have higher-level literacy skills and attain more years of education than their peers with access to fewer books. However, starting and maintaining a home library as a child grows up can be cost prohibitive for low-income families like those who qualify for LCHS services.  

To bridge that gap, LCHS hosted 16 book fairs between its Head Start/Pre-K Counts and Early Head Start programs and distributed more than 1,800 books. Events were held in Hazleton, Edwardsville, Plymouth, Dallas, Nanticoke, Plains, Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Pittston and Exeter.  

Each child selected three books, mainly focused on social-emotional development, kindness and friendship, that interested them. Bilingual books were available for Spanish-speaking families. Parents and caregivers, as well as PNC employees, volunteered at the events. 

LCHS also invited community partners to provide families with literacy resources. The United Way of Wyoming Valley attended to enroll families in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free program that provides new, age-appropriate books each month to children from birth to age 5. Several local libraries participated to sign families up for library cards and provide information on their services and children’s programs.

Children were thrilled to have new books to take home and read with their families. For parents and caregivers, the experience not only emphasized their role as their child’s first and most important teacher, but allowed them to be active participants in their learning and development. Families were encouraged to continue adding to their home libraries and reading together at home to build their children’s early literacy skills. 

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Chewy is helping set Luzerne County Head Start students up for a successful school year.

Team members at the online pet supply retailer’s Wilkes-Barre fulfillment center participated in a back-to-school donation drive benefiting LCHS classrooms in Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Chewy employees collected a variety of school supplies for LCHS throughout the month of August, including crayons, pencils, glue sticks and construction paper.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Ahead of the 2025-2026 school year, we will host Health and Wellness Fairs in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton for all new and returning children. See the flyers below for details.

Visit https://forms.gle/si9z7xLJuHsX9Ecj9 to pre-register. Questions? Call 570-829-6231 or email lchsinfo@hsweb.org.

Attending the Health and Wellness Fair does NOT guarantee your child’s acceptance.

Antes del inicio del año escolar 2025-2026, organizaremos una Feria de Salud y Bienestar en Wilkes-Barre y Hazleton para todos los niños nuevos y que regresan con nosotros. Consulte los folletos a continuación para obtener más información.

Visite https://forms.gle/si9z7xLJuHsX9Ecj9 para pre-registrarse. Preguntas? Llame al 570-829-6231 o envíe un correo electrónico al lchsinfo@hsweb.org.

Asistir a la Feria de Salud y Bienestar NO garantiza la aceptación de su hijo/a.

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Along the way, Samantha has gained confidence as a parent, as the home visiting program emphasizes her role as Joseph’s first and most important teacher and allows her to be an active participant in his learning.

“I would most definitely recommend Early Head Start to all the new moms and dads out there,” she said. “This program has shown me what a good parent is and having that special bond with your child.”

Early Head Start provides comprehensive child development and family support services to expecting parents, infants and toddlers up to age 3, and their families. Families participate in weekly home visits with a family educator and have opportunities to attend socializations, also known as Family Days, at their EHS center with others in the program. 

Samantha enrolled in Early Head Start when Joseph was one month old because she wanted him to begin learning as soon as possible. They were paired up with Jess, a family educator in the Edwardsville Center. For the last three years, Jess has developed a close bond with the family as she visits weekly to work on learning activities, goal setting and more. Samantha and Joseph are also regular guests at Family Days. 

“From the start of home visits, he developed a lot of different skills, from learning how to crawl to learning how to walk and eventually how to talk,” Samantha said. “At socializations, Joseph has made so many new friends, along with new bonds with the educators.” 

Joseph is always excited to see Jess for their home visits. As soon as she comes inside, he sits down, ready to learn. Afterward, Joseph helps pass out the resources Jess leaves for Samantha to look over throughout the week. Then, he gives Jess a hug or a high five and says, “See you next time.” 

Now, Joseph is ready to transition to a Head Start classroom. Samantha is confident that her son is prepared for preschool, and she looks forward to seeing him continue to learn and make new friends.

For Jess, it was meaningful to arrange Joseph’s classroom visit and reflect on how far he has come since their first home visit. 

“I have watched Joseph hit all of his milestones: sitting up, crawling, pulling himself up to stand, taking his first steps, saying his first words and now on the path to transition to a Head Start classroom in the fall,” Jess said. “I am very proud to be his family educator and cannot wait to hear all the great accomplishments he will make in the classroom.”

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate

Luzerne County Head Start continued its investment in the health and wellness of its workforce by hosting a staff retreat at Keystone College. 

The event brought together LCHS staff from all service areas for a day of rest and relaxation. Individuals from LCHS and Keystone led a range of activities focused on movement, mindfulness and creativity, giving participants tools to manage stress and center themselves physically and mentally.

Yoga, guided meditation and Zumba classes were available. Staff were also found outdoors exploring the college’s Woodlands Campus. Others opted for activities like puzzles, board games and card games indoors. Creative workshops were another highlight of the day, including chunky hand knitting, crocheting, friendship bracelet making and a garden gnome craft.

Thanks to the partnership with Keystone, staff also had opportunities to participate in fencing, beekeeping and more. Geisinger Health Plan, another partner committed to helping LCHS achieve its staff wellness goals, provided hand grip and bone density screenings.

Staff are the heart of the Head Start mission. LCHS recognizes that being in a helping profession, while rewarding and fulfilling, can demand so much from the heart and result in stress, burnout and vicarious trauma. Opportunities like the Staff Wellness Day help ensure LCHS staff can show up to work as their best selves and provide the community’s children and families with the compassion and care they deserve.

“Our children and families need to be well to do well — and the same is true for our staff. Staff wellness isn’t separate from work; it’s the foundation that allows us to bring our best to it,” said LCHS Executive Director Beth White. “Prioritizing well being is not about stepping away from responsibility, it’s about sustaining the energy and passion needed to carry it forward. When we take care of our staff, we reduce stress and burnout, making space for creativity, resilience and meaningful impact. Our team is changing the trajectory of children and families’ lives, and they matter deeply to this organization. That’s why we’re committed to supporting their wellness in every way we can.”

By Brooke Williams, Community Advocate