C.E.F.S Headstart is a federally funded program with years of experience, and two of their locations reside in Christian County, one in Taylorville and the other in Pana. Their approach to early-childhood learning is more than just literacy and smarts, it’s about developing social skills while providing a more stable environment and several screenings that focus on the child as a whole. From eating breakfast and lunch together in a family-style setting to preventative screenings, children and the families they serve are provided with the utmost attention to health, wellness, social life, and classroom work.

Nicole Gardewine, Program Director for C.E.F.S Headstart, talks first about the bulk of what the program entails.

Gardewine provides an idea on the teacher’s input in the day-to-day and the family-style meals that are made each and every day.

With being federally funded, 90% of the children that the program works with are from families at or below the poverty line. Gardewine explains how the funding gets put to good use.

Parents are far from forgotten in this mix with regular visits and “parenting nights.”

The Taylorville location is looking to hire a teacher’s aide and assistant to get their second classroom back up and running. Gardewine is proud of the team under her and the benefits and offerings that come with working for C.E.F.S Headstart.

Find out more information on C.E.F.S Headstart by visiting www.cefseoc.org.

Nicole Gardewine appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.