When MK and Prem Bansal arrived on the University of Kansas campus after moving from India with their three young children nearly 55 years ago, they had a lot to navigate.
They had to juggle life in a new country, their two older children鈥檚 school schedules and their own doctoral courses and research projects. And, on top of it all, they needed to find a way to care for their youngest daughter, Preeta, who was still too young for school.
For over a year, MK and Prem made sacrifices to ensure they could continue their educational careers while also having one parent home with Preeta during the day. So, MK would attend classes for his civil engineering doctorate degree in the morning, then Prem would go to her political science classes in the afternoons.
It was difficult, and often fairly inconvenient, they recalled.
Then, after nearly a year and a half of this method, a new friend mentioned a child care provider that had recently opened near campus 鈥 a Head Start center.
"It was a big consolation and comfort, and a great boon to us,"聽MK Bansal said in a statement. "With the grace of this Head Start program, I was able to finish my doctorate earlier."
Decades later, the Bansal family, now located in Lincoln, still remembers the impact Head Start had on their family and are giving back to the organization that once allowed them to chase their own dreams.
After learning of a fundraising campaign to renovate the Community Action Head Start center at 1821 K St. two years ago, the Bansals connected with the center to contribute in any way they could. This week, as renovations came to an end, the building was officially dedicated to the family and renamed the Bansal Family Home for Head Start.
"We have truly enjoyed the Good Life of Nebraska, and Lincoln has proven to be a most welcoming and vibrant city to which we feel so honored and privileged to be able to give back to," MK said.
Head Start, which provides quality child care for low-income families at no cost, leased a portion of the K Street building starting in 2016, and when the opportunity to purchase the entire building arose in 2020, Heather Loughman, the chief executive officer, knew they needed to jump on it.
In 2021, the sale had been made official, but extensive renovations were a necessity in order to make the entire building, which was originally designed to serve adult learners, safe and accessible for children of all ages. So, the fundraising campaign, Home for Head Start, began, with an end goal of $3.55 million.
Through donors such as Nelnet, the Lincoln Community Foundation and the Bansal family, the goal was met and the center has since been transformed. The renovated space now has a new front lobby, office spaces for staff, additional child-sized bathrooms, remodeled classrooms, indoor and outdoor play areas and rooms designed to host parents and community members.
On Wednesday morning, the new space was finally unveiled to the public at a ceremony to cut the ribbon, celebrate the center鈥檚 new beginning and honor the Bansals' dedication to the organization.
鈥淭his, of course, signifies a huge accomplishment for our Head Start program, but we will never get complacent, and we'll never stop innovating,鈥 Loughman said. 鈥淲e'll always keep working to provide the best programming possible for our community.鈥
While Preeta Bansal doesn鈥檛 remember much from her short time at Head Start all those years ago 鈥 except for a few vague memories of doing arts and crafts 鈥 she said she believes Head Start played a role in preparing her for the rest of her life. After attending Lincoln Public Schools, Preeta went on to study law at Harvard and work in various roles across the globe, including as a lawyer in the Clinton and Obama adminstrations, before landing back in Lincoln.聽
Teacher Amanda Dilks plays with toddlers from left, Kailany Otero Mena, 8 months, Dewa Sultanii, 10 months and Zaina Kambal, 1, at an Early Head Start classroom Tuesday at the Community Action Head Start K Street Center.