The Council is dedicated to combating poverty by offering opportunities for low income people to achieve self-sufficiency and providing services so that each community member and family is able to reach their full potential through the power of human possibility. The Council works to serve the low income population through advocacy, service delivery and community involvement.  Below are some of the many success stories of participants in the Council's programs.

HEARING THE CALL 

Olivia Craycraft was worried when her son Tayshawn didn’t start talking when
other children did. She and her grandmother, Joyce, shared their concerns
with Emma Doyle at the Bourbon County Center of Community Action
Council. Emma suggested that they enroll Tayshawn in the Council’s Early
Head Start Program in Bourbon County.

Since Olivia was working with Emma on building a better future for Tayshawn and herself, daycare was necessary in order for Olivia to enroll in Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington.  Olivia expected the Bourbon
County Child Development Center to be just like other daycare. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the teachers developed an individualized
plan for each child that addressed that child’s developmental issues.

For Tayshawn, his plan placed emphasis on developing his verbal skills. With this individualized attention, Tayshawn blossomed. His verbal skills have grown dramaticallyand he can even say his numbers up to 10 and is learning his ABC’s. Olivia says people are always impressed when Tayshawn, who is 2, startscounting. She is very proud of her son.

Besides this, the Early Head Start teachers have also worked with
Tayshawn on his social skills. Although Olivia and her grandmother
were always with Tayshawn, as an only child, he had spent very little time with
other children.

At the Bourbon County Center, Tayshawn is in a classroom with seven
other young children where he has learned to interact and share. Olivia
feels that these are skills he will need later in school.

When Olivia first considered finding daycare, she was worried about
being away from him and had reservations about leaving him with people
she didn’t know. At Community Action Council, she appreciates the emphasis that the Council places on making sure that the child development
staff are competent and, most importantly, love children. She also knows that she or Joyce are welcome to come and volunteer in the classroom.

Being able to spend time in Tayshawn’s classroom is important to
her. “I can read his papers, but it’s not the same as seeing him in his
environment. When we come to ‘his’ school, he can show us around and
we get to see everything he is doing.” Olivia feels, “It’s only the best.”

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