Read-a-Thon=lots of In Kind

In-kind is sort of the life-blood of Head Start. Since we are a Federal Government funded program that has a four to one parent volunteer dollar matching requirement, for every four dollars we get from the Federal Government we have to match with one dollar of parent volunteer time.

How are we doing “Making the Match” so far this year …

Our total annual in-kind requirement is $972,526.00. Our parent volunteer In-kind total is $399,505.79 through December. That puts us approximately $10,000 dollars ahead of our goal through December.

Top three in-kind leaders by program type (option of center or Home Base)

Center Base option:
#1 Caterpillar Cottages   -                $1,360.87 per family
#2 Tehama Center -                            $557.89 per family
#3 Red Bluff Center -                         $438.60 per family

Home Base option:

#1 Home Base 3 (Luz) -                   $4,538.03 per family
#2 Home Base 6 (Maria Estrada) -   $4,170.33 per family
#3 Home Base 2 (Ofelia) -                $3,647.33 per family

In-kind is monetarily valuable--its true. We couldn't get grant funds without it. But its also valuable to your child's success in the classroom. All of the time you spend, assisting them and their friends with breakfast, cutting out snowflakes for a holiday party, turning out for special events like healthy food nights and parades, and coming to parent meetings show your kids how important their school experience is. It makes school a family affair.

Starting Feb. 2nd you will have a new way to earn in-kind from the comfort of your own home. The read-a-thon will give you a chance to snuggle up on the couch with your little one with a good book. You get to bond, talk about the story, identify what will happen next and all of those great skills, all while earning in-kind time to keep Head Start going!

Your teacher should provide you with a reading homework sheet. Please, fill it out regularly and return it to school. If you need books at home to read with your child, let us know...and enjoy your opportunity to read about the adventures of Pete the Cat, or the Berenstein Bears, or Arthur (or Clifford...or Madeline...or...or...or)!

Note: Thanks much to Mike Lindsey for filling in the blanks about in-kind for me!