NAWILIWILI — Keiki from Head Start put a smile on Kaua‘i County Councilmembers’ faces Wednesday morning, showing up to recognize support the council provides to low-income families. The children gave each council member a lei and a plaque recognizing their
NAWILIWILI — Keiki from Head Start put a smile on Kaua‘i County Councilmembers’ faces Wednesday morning, showing up to recognize support the council provides to low-income families.
The children gave each council member a lei and a plaque recognizing their efforts in keeping the program alive.
Head Start Director Frank Ranger said he would like councilmembers to put the plaques on their desks, reminding them every day of the children they’ve helped. Ranger, in a humourous comment, told councilmembers the children are future voters.
The program currently helps 165 children from age 3 to 5, in nine learning centers around Kaua‘i, located in Kekaha, ‘Ele‘ele, Koloa, Kapa‘a, and Kilauea, plus four in Lihu‘e, said Ranger.
Ranger asked the council for funding for a summer program, to help children retain what they’ve learned in school, since there’s at least a two-month gap in school between spring and fall. The summer program is primarily for 4-year-olds.
“This is what puts a smile on my face,” said Councilman Derek Kawakami, adding that the program gives keiki the opportunity to get a head start in life, besides recognizing the “very essence of our existence, the next generation.
“Every time I look at my own kids it’s a reminder of why we do what we do,” Kawakami said.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
