Luzerne County Head Start re-opening 20 classrooms

Almost exactly one year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closures, Luzerne County Head Start announced the re-opening of 20 classrooms for in-person preschool services.

On March 15, Head Start and Pre-K Counts classrooms at 15 different sites in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties will again offer in-person learning to 131 children. According to a media release, “this accounts for approximately 10% of children LCHS is funded to serve.”

All of the local agency’s classes were closed in March of last year. Two sites opened for a brief time in Wyoming County in November before a surge of cases resulted in closing them again.

“The benefits of in-person preschool services for young children are invaluable,” Executive Director Lynn Biga said in the release. “They learn social and emotional skills, get healthy meals and exercise, mental health support and other services that cannot be easily replicated online. We want our children back in the classroom. We want to make sure they are fed, they play, they exercise, they learn, they explore and they make new friends.”

The agency has put in place protocols to ensure safety of children and staff, including limiting class sizes to 10 students. At most locations, classes will take place in a hybrid form Monday through Thursday, four hours each day. Families who have children in classrooms offering in-person learning still have the option to keep them enrolled in the virtual service.

In person, face masks will be required as well as frequent handwashing and social distancing. Before arrival, staff must fill out a COVID-19 screening. Student temperatures will be taken upon entry. If a student becomes ill at school, he or she will be isolated with a staff member until a parent or guardian can arrive to take them. Classrooms and high-touch surfaces will be cleaned and sanitized at the end of each day.