BOULDER -- Leslie Thomas knows the benefits of Head Start first hand. That's why she wants to start a program for the Boulder-Basin area.

However, she's finding that funds to do so are scarce because of federal budget cuts.

Before moving to Boulder, Thomas ran a Head Start program in Cody, Wyo.

"It's been a dream of mine," to start up a program in Boulder-Basin, she said. "We've seen a need for it in Boulder since we've lived here the past nine years."

She's placed ads, wrote an opinion piece for the newspaper and went door to door to talk to families about what the federally funded program has to offer.

She also brought up the idea at the Horizons Program meetings that have been on-going in Boulder the past year.

The Horizons study groups "agreed it would be very beneficial. It would be a piece of the action plan to address the poverty in Boulder," she said.

Thomas' groundwork has paid off. She's found 18 eligible, low-income families who would like to participate.

However, much as there may be a documented need, there's no funding to make it a reality, according to local Head Start officials.

Approximately $135,000 to $150,000 in annual funding is needed to operate a program. It takes an additional $25,000 to set up a classroom, said Patty Dahl, Head Start director for the Rocky Mountain Development Council.

But starting a Head Start program involves more than setting up a classroom, explained Dahl. Head Start provides ancillary services, such as medical and dental services for the children and the family, as well as two nutritious meals per day for the children.

Thomas realizes how important these extra services are. When she worked for Head Start, her staff worked closely with parents to help them locate resources they needed to move toward self-sufficiency.

"They deal with the whole family. They're an advocate for the family -- helping parents identify goals, helping families become independent, supporting the family and preparing the child for school," Thomas said.

And, of course, Head Start also provides early childhood education for children, ages 3 to 5, so they are prepared for school, particularly learning pre-reading skills, Thomas said.

"Research shows that children who are not reading by the third grade face a lifelong struggle," she wrote in a recent editorial.

"It's actually been proven that children who attend Head Start have a better chance of staying in school and keeping better paying jobs and in general being more successful," Thomas said.

Although RMDC has requested Head Start expansion money from the regional office in Denver, Dahl is not optimistic for this year.

Funding at the federal level has been continued every year since 2003, but the program hasn't been re-authorized. As a result, the funding level has been flat, explained Dahl.

In 2006 funding was cut by 1 percent as part of across-the-board domestic program cuts, she said.

The only way a new program could open in Boulder/Basin under existing funding is if one of the 16 Head Start classes in the tri-county area closed and that isn't likely, she said. All of them have full class sizes.

The sole Head Start program offered in Jefferson County is in Whitehall, which is too far for Boulder children to participate.

"Boulder did all the leg work to get a community assessment done. They've worked really hard. I'm impressed with their work," said Dahl.

"If we had the money, we would have a real successful program there," added Gene Leuwer, executive director for RMDC.

Although there is no immediate funding available, Leuwer said, he is convinced there will be in the future.

The Boulder group has done all the right steps to get a program launched, he said.

"We requested money from other states or other parts of Montana," Leuwer said. "If we can't get the money, I know our board will have an on-going interest in getting a program started down there."

In the meantime, Thomas isn't giving up.

This past weekend she was making contact with Sen. Jon Tester's staff to see if he could find funding.

For more information, call Thomas at 439-3355.