Early Childhood/Head Start

At-Risk Criteria

Children must meet one or more of the at-risk criteria listed below and be enrolled on Count Day (September 20) to be eligible to generate funding. To be eligible for funding, a child must be properly reported on the ENRL report in the KIDS Collection System. Note that beginning in 2025-2026, districts report the specific eligibility criteria used to qualify each student as preschool-aged at-risk. Documentation for the criterion met for each child will need to be available for auditors.

At-Risk Criteria for Preschool-Aged At-Risk include:

1. Poverty. The student qualifies for free meals under the National School Lunch Program on September 22, 2026. Note that this criterion will match the criteria for determining which PreK-12 students generate the at-risk weighting.
2. Single Parent Household. Guardian indicated they were a single parent on the district enrollment form.
3. Foster care or Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) referral. At any point between the time of enrollment and Count Day, the child is in the custody of the secretary for children and families. This may include foster care, custodial grandparents/kinship care, or other out-of-home placement. For children referred by DCF, the reason for referral must describe the need for the child to attend the Pre-K program or receive the early childhood service and be documented and signed by the DCF agent.
4. Teen Parents. At least one parent was a teenager (19 or younger) when the child was born.
5. Either parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED. At least one parent is lacking a high school diploma or a GED on the first day of school.
6. English Language Learner. The student must qualify for bilingual weighting and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services must be provided, and forms must be in the child’s file. See the KSDE ESOL/Bilingual Education Program Guidance for process and criteria. NOTE: ESOL services must be provided by qualified teachers.
7. Developmentally or academically delayed based on a scored and validated assessment. *See Note. Lower than expected developmental progress in at least one of the following areas:
   1. cognitive development
   2. social-emotional/behavior
   3. physical development
   4. adaptive behavior/self-help skills
   5. communication/literacy
   • *Note: on Item #7 above: Based on appropriate, valid (and scored) assessment results, the developmental progress of the child has been determined by a trained professional to be lower than typically expected for his/her chronological age, yet above what would be considered eligible for special education services (based on the procedural manual and guidance materials of specific assessment instruments). Scores that fall at or below the 40th percentile indicate ‘at-risk’. Assessment scores for each area must be documented on the actual assessment and the area (cognitive, physical, communication, etc.) used to qualify the student as preschool- aged at-risk must be clearly marked.
8. Child qualifying for migrant status. A copy of the certificate of eligibility must be on file.
9. Children who experience chronic or episodic homelessness. Homeless students must be coded in the KIDS Collection System regarding their living situation as determined by local educational liaison.

At-Risk Criteria 

1. Poverty – Qualifies for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program on September 20, 2024 (family income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level). 
2. Single Parent families – Custodial parent is unmarried on the first day of school. 
3. Children in foster care, custodial grandparents/kinship care, or out of home placement, or children who have been referred by the Department for Children and Families – Child is in foster care, custodial grandparents/kinship care, or out of home placement at the time of enrollment. For children referred by DCF, the reason for referral must describe the need for the child to attend the Pre-K program or receive the early childhood service and be documented and signed by the DCF agent. 
4. Teen parents – At least one parent was a teenager (19 or younger) when the child was born. 
5. Either parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED – At least one parent is lacking a high school diploma or GED on the first day of school. 
6. Limited English Proficiency – Documentation that the student qualifies for bilingual weighting and ESOL services must be provided. Forms must be in the child’s file. See process and criteria in the Program Guidance Document for ESOL/Bilingual Education. NOTE: ESOL services must be provided by qualified teachers. 
7. Lower than expected developmental progress in at least one of the following areas: cognitive development; physical development; communication/literacy; social emotional/behavior; adaptive behavior/self-help skills – Based on appropriate and valid assessment results, the developmental progress of the child has been determined by a trained professional to be lower than typically expected for his/her chronological age, yet above what would be considered eligible for special education services (based on the procedural manual and guidance materials of specific assessment instruments). Scores that fall at or below the 40th percentile indicate ‘at-risk’. 
8. Child qualifying for migrant status – Copy of Certificate of Eligibility must be on file. 
9. Children who experience chronic or episodic homelessness – Residence of homeless student while homeless must be completed in the KIDS Collection System as determined by local educational liaison. 
10. Children lacking health insurance – At the time of enrollment, the child has no health insurance coverage. 

Practice the new routine your child will be adopting when heading to school. (Getting dressed, brushing their teeth and hair, eating
breakfast and getting out the door on time.)

Model turn taking, sharing, and getting along with others.

Help your student master basic skills. Counting to ten, recognizing their name, holding a pencil are a few examples of basic skills. 

Bethel ECC
7850 Yecker Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66109
913-627-3000

• AM Session: 7:50 - 11:20 a.m.
• PM Session: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Earl Watson Jr ECC
6611 Waverly Ave
Kansas City, KS 66104
913-627-5350

• AM Session: 7:50 - 11:20 a.m.
• PM Session: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.

KCK ECC
1708 N 55th St
Kansas City, KS 66102
913-627-6590

• AM Session: 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
• PM Session: 12:55 - 4:25 p.m.

Morse ECC
912 S Baltimore
Kansas City, KS 66105
913-627-6550

• AM Session: 7:50 - 11:20 a.m.
• PM Session: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Bethel ECC
7850 Yecker Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66109
913-627-3000

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 7:50 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

KCK ECC
1708 N 55th St
Kansas City, KS 66102
913-627-6590

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 4:255 p.m.

Morse ECC
912 S. Baltimore Street
Kansas City, KS 66105
913-627-6550

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 7:50 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Frank Rushton Elementary School
2605 W 43rd Ave 66103
913-627-3050

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

M. E. Pearson Elementary School
310 N 11th St
Kansas City, KS 66102
913-627-3150

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Silver City Elementary School
2515 Lawrence Ave
Kansas City, KS 66106
913-627-4550

• M, T, TH, F Classroom Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

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