Welcome to BCHS from our executive director
Dear Families,
Welcome to Berkshire County Head Start! I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your involvement and commitment to your child’s education! It is an investment of a lifetime that we are privileged to be a part of. Your child’s Head Start experience will help them become a successful learner, which makes all the difference when entering a kindergarten program. In fact, you may have already noticed the changes in your child – from socializing with others to recognizing letters and numbers. Your child’s early learning experiences are essential to his or her development and school readiness. Rest assured, at Berkshire County Head Start your child will continue to receive high-quality services such as:
• Enriching classroom learning environments
• Individualized instruction for school readiness
• Teachers certified in Early Childhood Education
• Health and educational screenings and appropriate referrals
• Inclusive services for children with all levels of abilities
We believe in partnering with you to ensure that all needs of your child(ren) and family are met. We embrace the “whole child, whole family” philosophy in all aspects of our programs and services and invite you and your family to engage in them. We work to enhance opportunities for success by inspiring each child’s love of learning, partnering with families, advocating for equity, and fostering a connection to community.
Our Family Handbook and program calendar should prove to be a great resource that you may refer to throughout your tenure at BCHS. We believe that parents are the first and most important educators of their children. Therefore, your involvement is one of the most important aspects of our program. We invite you to volunteer in the classroom, attend parent meetings and participate in family events. Parents who are interested in having a voice in program activities also can be elected to serve on our Policy Council, which is an opportunity to participate in shared decision-making about the program.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your family. We look forward to an exciting year of preschool at Berkshire County Head Start.
Sincerely,
Brett Westbrook, MSW
Executive Director
welcome
We enhance opportunities for success by inspiring each child’s love of learning, partnering with families, advocating for equity, and fostering a connection to community.
Dedicated Educators
Our Teachers assess the progression of language and literacy, cognition and general knowledge, critical thinking, approaches toward learning, physical well-being and motor development along with social-emotional development of our children.
Our Approach
Berkshire County Head Start’s health and safety focus encompasses early detection, screening, preventive health education, and assisting children and families with obtaining a primary medical and dental home.
Berkshire County Head Start’s new program, Resources to
Empower and Advocate for Children & Households (REACH),
provides access to affordable childcare, dedicated family
support, community resources and health/wellness partners.
For eligible children and families, REACH provides:
- Free full-day childcare and transportation
- Dedicated advocates who work with families to identify needs and accomplish goals
- Access to additional community resources
- Financial assistance for transportation and fees for obtaining IDs and other documentation
REACH is a Berkshire County Head Start program funded by the City of Pittsfield through the ARPA grant. Contact Carrie Dupuis at cdupuis@berkhs.org for more information.
