Page 42 - BTC Yearbook 2016

Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start

Team Members: Mary Bradley, Jennifer Miller, Mahera Chiarizio

Families impacting: Early Head Start Families (serving pregnancy – age 3), Head Start Families
(age 3 – 5yrs), Migrant Head Start Families (age Birth – 5 yrs), Massachusetts “Preschool
Expansion Grant” Program Participating Families, Families within the community involved in
HCS sponsored Community Playgroups, Parenting Classes and the Fatherhood Program

Practitioners Impacting: The entire HCS Head Start staff of 325 will be trained in Touchpoints!
Our organization includes the following Departments: Grounds & Maintenance, Nutrition
(including cooks), Health (including nursing staff), Mental Health (including clinicians), Family
Services, Fiscal, Human Resources, and Education & Disabilities.

Community Impact: HCS Head Start maintains very strong collaborations with community
stakeholders and we bring our voice to many tables. No doubt, the Touchpoints lens will be
apparent as we interact and share our work with children and families. Our Board of Directors
(including prominent members of the community within the fields of medicine, business, higher
education, and politics) as well as our Policy Council (which is primarily comprised of Head
Start parents who are highly invested in their children’s well-being and education) are all very
interested and supportive of our movement to implement the Touchpoints Approach. Over time,