"That's the kind of stuff that comes up all the time," said Trenbeath-Murray, director of the Salt Lake CAP Head Start program. "A lot of the kiddos we see are very, very at risk and really destitute."

That was part of the message Head Start advocates presented to Utah lawmakers this year as they sought funds to provide more children in Utah with early childhood services.

Legislators responded with $100,000 for the program.

Head Start officials are thrilled with the bipartisan support they received in their first year seeking state funds. The $100,000 will pay for services for 14 more children and their families awaiting Head Start slots. In addition to providing preschool, Head Start provides medical, dental, nutritional and other services.

The funding comes at a time when the program expects significant cuts at the federal funding level.

Sheila Walsh McDonald, advocate for the Salt Lake Community Action Program, said Utah lawmakers agreed maintaining Head Start is a priority, but lower-than-expected revenue figures kept them from allocating the $700,000 Head Start requested. "We knew it would be difficult to receive any additional revenue," Walsh-McDonald said. "I feel very positive about the response . . . and the fact they acknowledged the need with ongoing funding.

In a state that doesn't fund preschool, advocates said they know they need to continue to educate people about the measurable benefits of Head Start and other preschool programs.

Rebekkah Button is happy the program received some state funding. She said it addresses the issues of poverty-stricken families such as hers comprehensively.

She first learned of Head Start in September when she couldn't find an affordable program for her 4-year-old daughter.

''I was flattered by their reception. I expected I would be treated with the same callousness and degradation I had received through other programs,'' Button said. ''I am used to having to prove to people that while my income is below average, my intelligence isn't.''

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* ROXANA ORELLANA can be reached at rorellana@sltrib.com or 801-257-8693.

What is Head Start?

Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education to children ages 3 to 5, along with nutritional, social and health services. Utah currently has nine Head Start programs that last year served more than 5,500 children.

Preschool program