Family Scholar House announces new partnership to continue early childhood services

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville nonprofit is stepping up to fill a gap in early childhood programs for Head Start families.

It comes as the University of Louisville ends its early childhood education program.

In February, UofL announced plans to cut ties with Family Scholar House starting June 30. The nonprofit currently partners with the university's College of Education and Human Development.

UofL has overseen management of the Early Learning Campus, which provides care and early learning for children ages six weeks to four years old, according to our partners at Louisville Business First.

But, due to budget constraints, the university decided it can no longer sustain its management or its partnership with Family Scholar House or the Early Learning Campus. According to LBF, FSH pays $85,000 annually for 38 of the center's 130 children.

Now, Family Scholar House is partnering with the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative to help fill the gap. Starting this August, the nonprofit's will begin offering early childhood education for 118 children ages six weeks to 5 years old. The services will be available to families who qualify for Head Start/Early Head Start services at FSH's on-site early childhood education center, located at the nonprofit's Louisville Scholar House campus.

"This exciting new partnership with OVEC supports our goal of ensuring that our parents have affordable, accessible child care for their children in an environment in which they can get a great start — a Head Start — on their own educational path," said Cathe Dykstra, CEO of Family Scholar House.

Family Scholar House has five campuses of affordable housing available for eligible student parents.

The nonprofit launched in 1995 as Project Women to help single mothers in crisis achieve self-sufficiency through education. The nonprofit changed its name in 2008 and built its first campus near UofL.

The Family Scholar House includes 56 apartments, the Owsley Brown Frazier Academic Services Center and the Early Learning Campus. It also has five campus locations across Louisville.