Bear River Head Start

Hi. I have been working for Head Start since 2020 and I have loved my experience. I am a Child Development Assistant and i love it. I have the opportunity to travel to different classrooms and interact with so many different children and teachers. I not only help in the preschool head start (3 to 5) but also the early head start (infants to 3). I am able to see how different teachers teach and share ideas with other teachers. There are some days that are harder than others, but it’s rewarding when the child leaves happy or smiling. Not only do we teach the children about the world around them, but we get to go on field trips (walking or bus), do science experiments, eat meals with the them, join in on their adventures during play time, sing songs, make art projects out of “beautiful junk”, and many more.

Bear River Head Start is a wonderful program

If I could give zero stars, or even negative stars, I would. My info was gathered a year ago when we applied for my son to get into the program. We were told a year ago that he was on a waiting list because we "made a little bit too much money." We were fine, because we didn't know what the cutoff was for funding and we understood that others needed it more than we did at the time. This year, we were told that they were desperate to find children to fill the class and we would most likely get in. After our information was taken, we waited for the call on whether or not we got in. I called Monday morning, the day before they started, and was hung up on several times. Weird. Then I called that afternoon. And was told I'd know by the end of the day at 5pm. Well 455 pm rolls around and I still hadn't heard from them yet so I called them. I knew class started the next day so I needed to know. I was told "you made too much and someone just applied and filled the very last spot. I was disappointed but not incredibly angry yet. They could've called before closing time but whatever. But then I heard from 3 other sources, the teacher in the program, a fellow who gathers the income and paperwork for the program, and a lady who works for united way of Northern Utah, a partner of bear river head start that there were still seats to be filled. They all said I should've gotten in with my son. I contacted some friends and there is a mom who has her daughter in the program who applied and she was directly told to stop calling the office because she didnt get in. Weird, because the daughter is in the foster system and definitely should've gotten in. I have been lied to, disrespected, and education has been withheld from a child if not multiple children who definitely deserved to get in and be educated. I will be calling Monday to not only complain but to figure out if this is just policy to lie and disrespect families, or if it's just something that the admissions ladies do to people who "make a little too much."