Two of De Hart’s own played such a huge role in caring for kids between the years of 1992 and 2018. For 26 years Momma D and Mrs. Antoinette Pickett served 265 young children of the community every year until it officially closed its doors in 2018.
Momma (Kathy) De Hart always wanted to be a mom. When her four kids all started school she decided she wanted to start a career with children. She started working at Head Start in 1992 as a lunch aide, and made her way up through the ranks. She worked as a teaching assistant, parent involvement coordinator, social services coordinator, and lead teacher. She moved to Washington between 2004 and 2008 to work with Washington’s Samish Indian Nations Head Start Program. While she was there she took on roles as the head start director, child care program director, elders Indian lunch director, and Indian elders physical care program director. These four years were her favorite years in the program. When she returned to Geary County Head Start in 2008 she became the education coordinator.
“All I ever wanted to be was a mom, I did not want a career until I came across Head Start” – Momma (Kathy) De Hart
Mrs. Antoinette Pickett has two sons and always dreamed of having a little girl. When she moved to Kansas she met her friend, Debra, who just so happened to have three of her own little girls. Debra started working at Head Start and tried getting Mrs. Pickett on board, even signing her up for the “Scat Program”. Mrs Pickett was not interested in Head Start at first but quickly fell in love with the “Scat Program” which helped direct parents in different parenting skills. Mrs. Pickett moved on from the “Scat Program” and started to volunteer for Head Start as a lunch aide, she worked there for just a few days before moving onto assistant teacher. Later she became lead teacher, education manager, and disability manager.
“I was able to give each child the love and nurturing I did not get growing up and that was the best thing that could have happened to me” – Mrs. Antoinette Pickett
After Momma D’s return from Washington, Mrs Pickett received a call from the Head Start Director “Mrs Tate” asking her to go open up her classroom for Momma D to see. This is where they met and worked together until 2011 when Momma D left the program. Mrs Pickett continued to work with Geary County Head Start until they lost their grants in 2013. Mrs Pickett went to work for CDI Head Start until 2016 when Mrs Lafarris opened Loving Arms Headstart and hired many of the original teachers back. Mrs Pickett continued to work for Loving Arms Head Start until 2018 when they lost their grant. When this happened, Head Start in Geary County closed down for good.
“Parent Involvement Coordinator was the most important role to me. It was a 12 stage curriculum to teach enhanced parenting skills. We offered free childcare while the parents came to my classroom to learn and eat” – Momma (Kathy) De Hart
In 2013 Momma D started working for her son, Lawrence De Hart from her trailer and stayed friends with Mrs Pickett. Lawrence had Mrs Pickett on his mind for a few years, understanding the struggles she faced, like his mother did when she left the program. In 2022 Momma D and Lawrence called Mrs. Picket together and offered her the job to work at De Hart Plumbing Heating & Cooling, which she happily accepted.
“I loved Lawrence from the day we met in his early teens” – Mrs. Pickett
Very often, the ladies in the office will hear stories of Momma D and Mrs. Picketts days in headstart. All of the good and bad times are reminisced and we all know how much they both miss the program. They certainly would have been there the rest of their lives if given the chance. Aside from the accomplishments directly related to the children, Head Start assisted Momma D and Mrs. Pickett in fully paying for their early childhood degrees. Mrs. Tate is one of the most highly talked about and respected names brought up in the stories. They have nothing but good things to say about her and her directing of the program.