About Us

Head Start of Shawnee Mission, Inc., began in 1965 as a summer enrichment program for 17 preschool-aged children from low-income families. Today we serve 218 low income children and their families in our Early Head Start and Head Start programs.

 

Head Start of Shawnee Mission is a private, non-profit corporation. We provide comprehensive early childhood education, childcare for working parents, and social services, nutrition and health, mental health,  and developmental screenings to children from Johnson County families.

 

How We Are Funded

Head Start of Shawnee Mission receives a portion of its funds from federal and state grants and relies on individual contributions and corporate and foundation grants for the rest. Every dollar of federal and state money we receive must be matched with twenty-five cents in cash or in-kind  contributions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although our program has grown to meet the needs of Johnson County families, our funding has not kept pace with the demand for services. Despite living in one of the richest counties in Kansas, 1 out of 20 Johnson County residents resides in poverty (United Community Service 2006 Poverty Trends report)

 

Today we have a waiting list of over 350 families who need our services, but must do without because we have neither the space or the resources to serve them. Your volunteer support or contribution will help educate another child and empower their family to success! To find out more, select Community Support or Become Involved.
Text Box: Mission: The mission of Head Start of Shawnee Mission is to provide quality early childhood learning experiences and comprehensive child and family services, which empower low-income families and their children to maximize their success.

Vision Statement:

 

Head Start of Shawnee Mission will be a leading center of excellence in

the growth and development of young children

and support of their families.

Empowering children and families for success

Head Start of Shawnee Mission, Inc.

Dennis Siefers, Vice President of Account Management at Midland Loan Services, presents a welcome gift of books to Renee Miller, Community Relations Coordinator, and Terrie Van Zandt-Travis, Executive Director.

For more information, contact Head Start of Shawnee Mission, 913-649-9714.

Click here to access our most recent annual report:

2008-2009 Annual Report

                         Crayon Box Tours

 

We offer free, one-hour tours of our program to increase community awareness about Head Start of Shawnee Mission. Visitors will get to see our terrific kids getting off the bus, ready to greet their day, and see what they eat for breakfast (family style … it’s educational entertainment!). You’ll learn about our programs and the comprehensive services we offer our children and their families. These tours have been very successful in spreading the word about what we’re doing over here at 8155 Santa Fe Drive. Since starting the Crayon Box Tours in 2007, over 350 people have walked our halls, heard our story and met our kids. Our hope is that those who visit us will share what they’ve learned on the tour with friends and colleagues. You never know when someone might need our services.

 

To schedule a tour, please contact Renee Miller at rmiller@smks-headstart.org. We hope to see you!

 

 

2010 Tour Dates

 

March 4, 2010

11:30 AM-12:30 PM

 

April 1, 2010

8:00-9:00 AM

 

May 4, 2010

11:30 AM-12:30 PM