New agency may take over Head Start pre-school centers in South L.A.

Parents, children, and employees protested outside the administration offices of Kedren Head Start school today at 111th Place in Los Angeles. The rally took place outside a community meeting to announce the County Department of Education’s recent decision to close numerous centers in Watts and South L.A. areas.

Kedren let go of its contract with the Los Angeles office of Education in January, according to a statement from the agency. LACOE explained that services will continue as usual once the Children’s Institute International takes over the program. Keisha Woods, the Head Start director for L.A. County, explained that Kedren relinquished its’ grant but services will continue for children and families coming from the Watts, Burbank and South Park areas, if need be.

“The number of children that will be served every returning child, or child that’s enrolled in the program, will have a space in the program as with their siblings. In terms of exactly where those slots will be at we’re still working out the dynamics in terms of sites that can be licensed and where those actual locations will be,” said Woods.

Numerous parents were upset about the announcement like Josie Calderon who is also the Vice President of the policy council at Head Start. Her biggest concern is that there will be almost 300 fewer slots for children. She helped organize the protest outside of the meeting to keep the grant with Kedred. “Out of 727 children served here only 450 children will be able to be served,” said Calderon in front of a crowd of about 30 parents, students, and staff.

Her four-year old son Jaden Calderon is a student at the Head Start center in Watts. He was excited to share some of the activities he enjoys most at the program. “We learn about puzzles, drawing, we have the art area, the play-doh area, the house area, and the library,” said Calderon. If the new agency takes over the Head Start center in Watts, Calderon may not have a secure space at the same location. Both of his parents work full-time, and even at a young age Calderon understands that if he's not in the program, he will have to just stay home.

Lupe Ross is a former LACOE board member who explained that the Head Start program was "bullied" and forced to give up their contract and said they will continue to fight to keep the Watts and South L.A. locations with Head Start.

Signs were printed with messages to the media and Head Start Directors, one read, "Keisha am I not important". Others spelled out in spanish, "Basta ya de quitarle a mi comunida" and "Que va a pasar con el programa de dia completo" which translates to, enough trying to take (Head Start) out of my community, and whats going to happen with the full-day program?

Nina Revoyr, the executive vice president of the Children’s Institute, said it will be a major shift and that CII was only allocated resources for a certain number of slots. “So it’s not that Head Start services in Watts are stopping, it’s that Kedren is not going to be providing them because LACOE is not continuing their funding. It’s a natural fit for us to continue to serve Head Start families here in Watts including the housing developments which I know is a great concern for the families here,” said Revoyr.

Educational programs in South Los Angeles are far less accessible than in other neighborhoods throughout the city. Additionally, programs like the Head Start schools are forced to close and move out of the area. This is going to make it harder for parents to get their kids in full-day classes and for those parents that choose to continue participation in the programs, they main concern is having to relocate their children to centers in other neighborhoods of South L.A. that crosses gang territories.

Unequal access to education has been an issue facing youth in South Los Angeles for many years. Kendren Head Start was originally rooted in 1965 after the Watts riots. The Kendren Mental health website explains how a group of black male psychiatrists collaborated to identify and contest the problems that ignited the riots. Their findings showed that residents believed that poverty, lack of education, and police brutality were some of the leading issues that caused the Watts riots almost 50 years ago.

During this time, some residents thought that schools were inadequate, and others felt gang violence, drugs, alcoholism, and high teen pregnancy rates were all results of a community with poor education facilities.

For those children left out of the free day care centers, parents will have to decide whether they want to pay enrollment for their kids to stay in a preschool program, relocate, or take care of them at home.

What will happen to Kedren teachers is unclear, but the Head Start program is scheduled to end oversight of the schools by June 30.