Portage Learning Centers Head Start and Early Head Start

Portage Learning Centers Head Start and Early Head Start offers Head Start Preschool as a no-cost preschool for income-eligible children and Early Head Start as a no-cost early education program for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. The programs are federally funded and focus on school readiness for children from birth to age 5 from income-eligible families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. The programs provide comprehensive services that include health, nutrition, social services, and education and cognitive development for enrolled children and their families.

• Ages: Birth–5 years old
• Schedule: Main Office hours Monday–Thursday 8 am–4 pm; Friday 8 am–12 pm
• Price: Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start are described as no-cost programs for income-eligible families

Portage Learning Centers operates four Head Start centers in Kent, Ravenna, Streetsboro, and Atwater, serving 208 children in Head Start and 64 children and pregnant women in Early Head Start. Early Head Start children and families are served in a home-based program, and there is also a center-based program in Kent and Ravenna. Home-based opportunities are available for children ages 0 to 5 in Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool. All of the centers have received the Ohio Step Up to Quality Gold Award, and all centers’ location information is current for the 2025–26 school year.

Portage Learning Centers states that it is committed to empowering individuals and families to succeed by fostering dignity, self-worth, and personal goal achievement, and that its Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start programs prioritize the family’s influence on child development while offering comprehensive services and community partnerships. The organization reports that its programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, including health, nutrition, social services, education, and cognitive development, and that it uses community partnerships to support positive growth and maximize potential.

Portage Private Industry Council, Inc., doing business as Portage Learning Centers, was incorporated in 1983 and administered JTPA programs from 1983 through 2000. In 1997, it was awarded the State and Federal Head Start programs for Portage County, and in 2010, it was awarded the Federal Early Head Start program.

The leadership team includes Executive Director Sherry Pomeroy, PhD; Head Start Director Kathleen Milliken; Director of Fiscal Gerald Kline; Director of Education Michelle Cooley; Health Coordinator Lisa Murton; Maintenance Alan Finn; Director of Family Engagement Diane Rogers; Early Head Start (EHS) Coordinator and Home-Based Supervisor Iris Smith; Human Resource Specialist Erika McKibben; Transportation Coordinator Shari Farmer; and Special Services Coordinator Kimberly Snyder. Site Supervisors are listed as Jessica Boston for Atwater, Melissa Madaffer for Kent, Melissa Hamp for Ravenna, and Johnna Lohr-Gill for Streetsboro. Iris Smith is also listed as the Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool Home-Based Program Supervisor.

For eligibility, families must provide 12 months of documented income, such as W2, 1040, 1099, paystubs, OWF, SSI, Social Security, Child Support, or Unemployment. Proof of age is required for child applicants through a birth certificate or birth record. Additional information needed includes the name, address, and phone number of two emergency contacts, any custody or guardianship paperwork if it applies, and the name of the child's doctor and dentist.

Parent comments shared by the program include a statement from Jazmine Fahlsing describing a “Great Early Start at Atwater” and saying that Ms. Boston is amazing, a Streetsboro parent describing Transportation Coordinator Shari Farmer as having a “heart of gold,” and Kristal Ruggles stating that “Johnna is amazing.”

Last updated July 2, 2026.