Head Start of Northeastern Nevada

09/17/2026

Did you know that Head Start provides children with breakfast, lunch and a snack everyday? We have menus created by a registered dietitian we follow. Our amazing kitchen staff home makes our food following healthy recipes so the children are provided the proper nutrition every day!

Today our breakfast was a banana with sunflower butter wrapped in a whole grain tortilla.

Have you ever tried it? It’s a simple recipe to help your children try new foods!

One recipe I can’t wait to try is the recipe attached for pizza cups!! Looks delicious!

09/17/2026

Please take action today to help protect Head Start! 💙

🚨Action needed: Speak up to ensure diapers and formula remain in Head Start.

A proposed federal rule would remove the requirement that Head Start programs provide diapers and formula to enrolled children during the program day. Diapers are a basic need — and removing this support would place added strain on families, Head Start programs, and community basic needs banks.

We need advocates, partners, families, and supporters to speak up and urge the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to keep the current requirement that Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide diapers and formula to enrolled children during the program day.

Submit a public comment using the template provided in the comments below by Tuesday, October 6, 2026:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/07/2026-16134/reducing-federal-burden-forhead-start-programs -comment

09/16/2026

Parents, please take the time to sign a letter and help protect Head Start!

Head Start parents and caregivers know firsthand what makes this program work for children and families.

Right now, the federal government is considering changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). An NPRM is part of the federal rulemaking process and gives the public an opportunity to weigh in before proposed changes become final.

These changes could affect health and other essential services, staff-to-child ratios, disability supports, eligibility, how children build English proficiency and opportunities for parents to lead.

Your experience matters in this conversation. Sign NHSA’s national Parent Sign-On Letter by September 30, 2026, and help make sure parent voices are heard: https://nhsa.org/how-to-speak-up-for-head-start/

09/16/2026

🌟 HSNN HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A TOP CONTENDER! 🌟

We are so excited to remind our HSNN families, staff, friends, and Northeastern Nevada community that Head Start of Northeastern Nevada has advanced as a top contender in the 2026 Elko Daily Readers' Choice Awards! 🎉
We are honored to be recognized in the Best Child Care Provider/Preschool category under the Community section. ❤️

This recognition is about more than an award—it is a reflection of the incredible children and families we serve, the dedication of our staff, and the support we receive from our community.

Our mission is to create a supportive environment where positive relationships, trust, respect, and self-growth are promoted for children, families, and staff. Being recognized by our community is something we are incredibly proud of!

🗳️ HOW TO VOTE:
➡️ Find Head Start of Northeastern Nevada under Best Child Care Provider/Preschool
➡️ You may vote once every 24 hours per email address
➡️ Voting is open through September 24, 2026

👉 Cast your vote here:
Elko Daily Readers' Choice 2026 Voting Portal

💙 Please vote, share this post, and encourage your family and friends to vote too!

Every vote is an opportunity to show our community how much Head Start of Northeastern Nevada means to the children and families we serve.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support HSNN! We are so grateful to be part of this community. 🫶

Let's show our HSNN pride! 💙❤️

09/11/2026

Please sign! Make your voice heard!

Calling on Head Start parents and caregivers to make their voice heard!

The federal government has proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). These standards help shape how Head Start programs operate and the services children and families receive.

The proposed changes could affect areas including health and other essential services, staff-to-child ratios, disability supports, eligibility, and opportunities for parents to lead and have a voice in their local programs.

NHSA worked with Head Start parents to develop a national Parent Sign-On Letter responding to these proposed changes. Add your name by September 30, 2026, and help show decision-makers what families want protected.

Sign today: https://nhsa.org/how-to-speak-up-for-head-start/

09/09/2026

Help Protect Head Start!

Behind every Head Start program is a staff member who chose this work because they believe in children.

The teacher who greets each child by name every morning. The family worker who helps a mom find housing so her family can stay together. The bus driver who makes sure a four-year-old gets to school safe. The cook who plates a hot breakfast for a kid who might not have eaten otherwise. They are the reason Head Start works.

People this dedicated deserve to be paid like the professionals they are. A competitive salary is what lets a program keep the skilled, caring staff that children and families count on year after year. That takes strong federal investment.

While we welcome the recently approved funding increase, it won't keep pace with rising costs and give programs the stability they need to serve the children and families in their communities.

You can help! Email your Members of Congress and urge them to support increased funding for Head Start in Fiscal Year 2027. It only takes a minute: https://nhsa.org/take-action/

09/09/2026

📣 OUR VOICES MATTER: The Future of Head Start Is Being Discussed Right Now!!

For more than six decades, Head Start has been more than a preschool program—it has been a promise to children and families that where a child begins in life should not determine how far they can go.

Head Start was created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, beginning as an eight-week summer program designed to provide children from low-income families with comprehensive support—not only early education, but also health, nutrition, social-emotional development and family services. (Head Start⁠)

That mission came home to our community in 1971, when Head Start of Northeastern Nevada was established in Elko County. For more than 50 years, generations of local children and families have walked through our doors. Today, our work continues to include early childhood education, nutritious meals, health screenings and services, family resources, school readiness and support for some of the most vulnerable families in our community. (Head Start of Northeastern Nevada⁠)

❤️ And now, Head Start is at another important moment in its history.

The federal Office of Head Start has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs,” that proposes significant changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

These are PROPOSED changes—they are not final. That is exactly why speaking up right now is so important.

The proposal would change or remove a number of current federal requirements and give states and local Head Start programs greater flexibility in how services are provided. Areas affected include education and classroom requirements, staffing, health and mental-health services, family services, enrollment and attendance, program duration, administrative requirements and more. (Colin Leitner⁠)

Some of the proposed changes are especially important for communities like ours to carefully consider.

The proposal would remove certain federal requirements for classroom ratios and group sizes, relying more heavily on state requirements and local program decisions. It would remove several specific federal requirements surrounding health and mental-health services, including monthly mental-health consultation and certain requirements for helping families navigate health systems. It would also remove the current 40-family maximum caseload for family service workers. (Colin Leitner⁠)

The proposal would require Head Start education to be conducted in English, with an exception for certain Tribal language programs. For programs serving dual-language learners, this could significantly change how we support children and families whose home language is not English. (Colin Leitner⁠)

Another significant proposal would reduce the allowable administrative-cost limit from 15% to 5%. The Office of Head Start itself acknowledges that this change could require programs to adjust how administrative and program costs are allocated and that impacts could be particularly significant for smaller programs. (Colin Leitner⁠)

For a rural community like Elko County, these conversations matter.

Our geography, workforce, access to health and mental-health professionals, transportation challenges, family needs and available community resources are different from those of a large metropolitan area. Federal policy changes can look very different when implemented in a rural community.

That is why advocacy is more important than ever.

This public-comment period gives parents, former Head Start parents, staff, educators, community partners, health professionals, business leaders and community members an opportunity to tell the federal government what Head Start means to Elko County and what these proposed changes could mean for the children and families we serve.

You do not have to be an expert in federal regulations to have a voice.

❤️ Tell your Head Start story.
❤️ Share how Head Start helped your child or family.
❤️ Explain why comprehensive services matter.
❤️ Talk about the realities of providing services in rural Nevada.
❤️ Share what you believe should be protected, changed or reconsidered.

Public comments are open through October 6, 2026.

👉 Read the proposed rule and submit your public comment here:
Federal Register — Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs & Submit a Public Comment⁠

For 55 years, Head Start of Northeastern Nevada has been part of the fabric of Elko County. We have watched children become parents, parents become leaders, and generations of families grow stronger.

Head Start began with a belief that investing in our youngest children could help break the cycle of poverty and create opportunity.

That mission still matters.

The future of Head Start should be shaped with the voices of the children, families, staff and communities who experience it every day.

Please take the time to learn about these proposed changes, share this information, and—most importantly—MAKE YOUR VOICE COUNT. ❤️💙

Because every child deserves a strong start, and the future starts here.

Cheri Moring
Executive Director-
Head Start of Northeastern Nevada

09/09/2026

Dear Head Start of Northeastern Nevada Families,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!

My name is Cheri Moring, and I am honored to serve as the Executive Director of Head Start of Northeastern Nevada. On behalf of our Board of Directors, Policy Council, and dedicated staff, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and your family. We are excited to partner with you as your child begins or continues their educational journey with us.

At Head Start of Northeastern Nevada, our mission is:

"Head Start of Northeastern Nevada is dedicated to creating a supportive environment that promotes the establishment of positive relationships that are based on trust, respect, and self-growth for children, families, and staff."

This mission guides everything we do. We believe that parents and families are a child's first and most important teachers and building strong partnerships with families is at the heart of our program. Together, we can create meaningful learning experiences that support your child's growth, development, and school readiness.

Our program provides comprehensive services that support the whole child and the whole family. In addition to high-quality early childhood education, we offer health, nutrition, disability, mental health, and family support services. We are committed to creating a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive.

As a federally funded Head Start program, we are required to meet specific performance standards that allow us to continue providing these valuable services at no cost to families. Your partnership plays an important role in helping us meet these requirements and ensuring the continued success of our program.

Attendance Matters: Regular attendance is essential for your child's learning and development. Head Start programs are required to maintain strong attendance, and we ask families to make every effort to ensure their child attends school consistently when healthy and able to participate. Our program goal is for every child to maintain at least an 85% attendance rate throughout the school year.

In-Kind Contributions: Head Start programs are required to match 25% of our federal grant through volunteer time, donated goods, services, and other in-kind contributions. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps support our program and the families we serve. Please review the In-Kind section of this handbook to learn about the many ways you can contribute.

Family Engagement and Goal Setting: Families work alongside their Family Advocate to identify strengths, set goals, and access resources that support family well-being, self-sufficiency, and children's ongoing development and school readiness. We encourage every family to actively participate in this important process.

At Head Start of Northeastern Nevada, excellence is our standard because your children and families deserve the very best. We are committed to providing a high-quality program where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn every day.

Thank you for choosing Head Start of Northeastern Nevada. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve your family and look forward to a wonderful year of learning, growth, and success together. Working together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

Warm regards,

Cheri Moring
Executive Director
Head Start of Northeastern Nevada

09/09/2026

🎉 WE MADE THE TOP 5! 🎉

We are so excited to announce that Head Start of Northeastern Nevada has been named one of the TOP FIVE finalists for BEST PRESCHOOL in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards! 🏆💙

What an incredible honor to be recognized by the community we are so proud to serve! For years, HSNN has been dedicated to giving children a strong start, supporting families, and creating a place where children can learn, grow, and thrive. 🍎📚✨

🗳️ NOW WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

Voting is open through September 29th, and you can VOTE ONCE EVERY DAY! 🙌

Help us bring home the title of:

🏆 2026 READERS’ CHOICE — BEST PRESCHOOL 🏆

➡️ Vote for Head Start of Northeastern Nevada
➡️ Come back and vote once each day through September 29th!
➡️ Share this post and encourage your friends and family to vote too!

To our families, staff, community partners, and everyone who believes in the work we do — THANK YOU! ❤️ Being named one of the Top Five is already something worth celebrating, and we couldn’t have done it without YOU!

🍎 Head Start of Northeastern Nevada
Every child deserves a strong start! 💙

Check it out now!

09/06/2026

📣 HSNN Families — Reminder! 🍎

Head Start of Northeastern Nevada will be CLOSED Monday, September 7th, in observance of Labor Day. 🇺🇸

✨ We will reopen Tuesday, September 8th — and it’s our FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! ✨

We are so excited to welcome our Early Head Start and Head Start children and families for the start of the 2026–2027 school year! 🎒🖍️🍎

Our classrooms are ready, our staff is excited, and we can’t wait to see all those smiling faces Tuesday morning! ❤️

Enjoy your Labor Day, HSNN families — we’ll see you Tuesday!