Neighbors Link houses an exciting preschool for children of families living at or below federal poverty guidelines. The separate program is part of the nationally successful Head Start effort. This preschool operates under the leadership of its Director, Linda Bremner, and is one of 26 WestCOP Head Start/ Early Childhood programs in the Westchester/Putnam area managed by Ellen Farrar, Deputy Director/Coordinator of Early Childhood Programs for WestCOP (Westchester Community Opportunity Programs) headquartered in Elmsford.

Mt. Kisco Head Start provides a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early childhood education program for 32 children ages 3 and 4 annually. The preschool focuses on the social, cognitive, health and nutritional needs of each child, assuring that they survive and thrive in our public schools. Daily, the children receive instruction via the Creative Curriculum and are provided with innovative child-directed learning experiences while being served a nutritious breakfast, lunch and light snack. Most of the children begin their preschool experience speaking only Spanish, but speak both English and Spanish by the time they are ready for public schools, thanks to WestCOP’s caring and professional staff.

When WestCOP Mt. Kisco Head Start was removed from our local schools for lack of space, Neighbors Link designed and built them a new home by calling on generous friends for financial support. As a result, the preschool now occupies half of our leased facility, including 2 large classrooms, a private entrance, administrative office, child-sized restrooms, storage space and direct fire exits.

Although the Head Start program is federally funded, less than $20,000 is allocated for rent in Mt. Kisco. We are grateful to friends and neighbors whose generosity helps meet the unfunded deficit of nearly $30,000 annually to house the preschool.

The work of WestCop Mt. Kisco Head Start is critically important to the future of our whole community, which is why Neighbors Link is proud to be their Community Partner in education.