Denver Great Kids Head Start briefs council on enrollment, governance and vendor network

Denver Great Kids Head Start presented its program model, enrollment figures and partnership network to the City Council Health and Safety Committee on Oct. 8, highlighting governance, delegate agencies and family outcomes.

Office of Children’s Affairs staff Rick Gutierrez introduced the briefing and Dr. Al Martinez, Head Start executive director, said the city has operated as a Head Start grantee since 1996: “The City and County of Denver became a Head Start agency in 1996, and we have served over 35,000 children in our history.”

Nut graf: The briefing emphasized the program’s governance structure—where parents and community representatives share decision‑making—and the city’s role as the grantee. Officials described vendor contracts for health and mental health consultation, dental screening and nutrition services, and provided enrollment and financial snapshots.

Scope and governance Martinez described Head Start’s shared‑decision model: the governing body includes mayoral and council representation and a policy council composed primarily of parents. The program reported total funded enrollment of 1,112 children (1,038 in preschool Head Start and 74 in Early Head Start). Delegate agencies named in the briefing include Clayton Early Learning, Mile High Early Learning, Volunteers of America, Catholic Charities, Family Star, Denver Public Schools and Sewell Child Development.

Services, vendors and the 5 by 5 program Laurie Medina, assistant head start director, detailed vendor contracts used to provide nursing consultation, dental services, mental health consultation and disability supports. The office funds a “5 by 5” program that connects classrooms with five cultural venues; staff said this program allows families and up to six relatives to visit partner institutions such as the Denver Zoo and the Aquarium.

Financials and outcomes OCA staff said the Office of Head Start provides about $14 million in funding for Denver Great Kids Head Start and that approximately 87% of federal funds go directly to delegate agencies and vendor contracts. The city retains funds for personnel, monitoring and targeted supplies; staff reported 88 classrooms across 31 centers and said teaching strategies gold assessments show measurable child gains from fall to spring checkpoints.

Family services and homelessness Committee members asked about homelessness among families served. Martinez and staff said several delegate agencies serve families who meet the McKinney‑Vento definition of homelessness and that Head Start treats homelessness as a categorical eligibility factor. Staff described family services staff who coordinate with city resources and training provided to delegate staff to support families in unstable housing situations.

Coordination and risk Committee members raised questions about changes at the federal level and implications for migrants, immigrants, and culturally responsive programming. Martinez said the agency continues to follow federal Office of Head Start requirements and that eligibility is defined by age, income and service‑area residence; he said the program had not experienced funding interruptions during recent national grant reviews.

Ending: Staff thanked the committee and offered to return for additional briefings; no committee motion or vote was taken during the presentation.