The Kern River Valley HeadStart Preschool is in jeopardy of being closed down and turned into a home base center. The current center has been a part of this community for many years; it would be devastating to children and parents alike to lose this center. The Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) started enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year on March 2. Under the impression their children would be attending preschool, 20 plus children have been enrolled and six are continuing from the previous year. At a recent parent meeting we were told by representatives from CAPK that we won’t even have a center -- and home base only serves 11 children. We went to the Family Resource Center and received a copy of the statistics. There are 73 children ages 3-5 years that this center can serve.

CAPK is saying the reason we are closing is there aren’t enough children and everyone is moving from our community to Bakersfield. We are HeadStart parents and one of us attended this very Headstart 21 years ago. We have had two daughters go through KRV Headstart. They are both very bright and excelling. One of them is starting kindergarten this fall and she is readily prepared with all the skills she needs especially social skills. Our other daughter will be old enough to start preschool this fall and is already enrolled for the up coming year and now they are saying the center won’t be there. I can teach her and my younger son everything they need to know at home. With out this center they will lack the socialization skills this center offers and this is what they need. We need our community to stand up and help us keep our center open.

Jimmy and Julie Ledlow Lake Isabella