As primary educators, nurturers, and advocates for their children, it is important that parents are equipped with skills and resources to be the best parent they can be. Lois Paulson is the Family Services Director at Reach-Up, and she seeks to do just this. For three decades she has worked to further the parenting skills of stress families. Lois “Lives United” by helping parents and children achieve their potential.
Lois began her work at Reach-Up in 1972. She worked as a Classroom Assistant, Social Service and Health Assistant and Family Services Coordinator until 1978, when she moved out of the area. In 1985, she re-joined Reach-Up Inc. as a Home Visitor. Up to now, she has held various other positions, namely Family Advocate, Parent Involvement Specialist, Family Involvement Coordinator, and Family Services Director, her current position, which she has held for the last seven years. Though she has worn many different hats during her 30 years at Reach-Up Inc., she has held the same overarching commitment throughout: working on improving parenting skills in order to improve the education and growth of our community’s children.
Head Start has been operating in the St. Cloud area since 1965. The program was originally created under the Tri-County Action Program (TriCAP), but was absorbed by Reach-Up Inc. in 1979 when they became a not-for-profit single purpose agency. Head Start provides services in partnership with families and their children, ages three to five in order to prepare children for kindergarten and to support parents in the role as their children's first and most important teacher. The KinderStart branch of the program, which is a partner program of United Way of Central Minnesota, was initiated in 1995. KinderStart provides services in partnership with families who have kindergarten age children who have completed Head Start; its aim is to support children and families as they transition into the school system.
