“We’re Not Just Using GoEngage—We’re Big Fans of It”

How ECKAN is strengthening Head Start operations—and expanding that success across the agency with GoEngage

At East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN), Head Start has always been at the heart of their work.

Serving families across seven counties, their team manages a complex network of staff, services, and compliance requirements—while staying focused on what matters most: supporting children and families.

And after more than 20 years working with GoEngage and its legacy systems, they’re still evolving.

At a Glance: 7 Counties | 405 children | 20+ Data Entry Staff | 24–48 Hour Enrollment Turnaround

Leadership That Drives Progress

Continued growth starts with leadership.

Clara Cox, Head Start Director, brings 37 years of experience at ECKAN. She’s seen the program through decades of change—and understands both the challenges and the opportunities ahead.

Alongside her is Dana Houk, Head Start Program Operations Manager, who has grown within the organization over the past 13+ years and now leads operations, compliance, and system strategy.

Clara and the leadership team set the vision, and Dana ensures it works in practice.

“From the time I get here to the time I leave, I’m in GoEngage,” Dana shared.

Together, they represent a balance many agencies strive for:

strategic leadership + operational ownership = continuous improvement that actually sticks.

Strengthening Head Start Operations—From the Inside Out

Instead of trying to force change all at once, ECKAN took a different approach: they started building smarter processes inside GoEngage.

For Dana, that meant something critical:

👉 Don’t roll anything out until it works from start to finish.

“We’re not going to push something out and then fix it later… that just creates a bigger mess.”

That means:

• Designing workflows before rollout

• Testing processes end-to-end

• Ensuring reporting aligns from the start

It’s a shift from reactive to proactive—and it’s changing everything.

This level of structure reduces confusion—and builds confidence.

Real Improvements Where It Matters Most

Even after years of use, ECKAN continues to see meaningful gains.

Faster Enrollment Turnaround

What once required physical coordination across sites—and multiple layers of approval—now happens seamlessly within GoEngage.

Previously, ECKAN relied on a two-step verification process, requiring two staff signatures to confirm documentation (proof of birth, income, eligibility) before a child could be enrolled.

With staff spread across counties, this often meant:

• Waiting for another staff member to be on-site

• Physically transporting paperwork between locations

• Delays of one to two weeks per application

Today, that same process is fully streamlined:

• Documents are uploaded directly into the system

• Staff collaborate in real time across locations

• Electronic signatures complete verification instantly

The result?

“Our turnaround is within 24–48 hours… we’re not waiting weeks anymore,” Dana explained.

👉 Faster enrollment. Stronger compliance. Better access for families.

Health Tracking That Just Works

If there’s one area that stands out above the rest, it’s health tracking.

“It’s probably our number one lifesaver.”

The system’s clarity and ease of use have allowed ECKAN to:

• Train new staff quickly

• Maintain consistent health documentation

• Reduce errors in one of the most critical service areas

Managing Data Across a Large Team

With staff across seven counties—and many entering data—ECKAN faces a challenge familiar to many agencies:

Dana shared, “we have a multitude of people entering data… that’s where errors come from.”

Instead of ignoring it, they’re using GoEngage to:

• Standardize processes

• Improve accuracy

• Explore better staffing models

It’s not about eliminating complexity—it’s about bringing consistency and control to it.

Giving Leadership Visibility and Confidence

For Clara and her leadership team, one of the biggest advantages is access.

• Staff documentation is centralized

• Reports are readily available

• Information is no longer siloed

“We had everything right there—we didn’t have to track it down [from HR],” Clara shared.

That visibility allows leadership to spend less time chasing information—

and more time leading, supporting staff, and improving program outcomes.

Continued Growth—Even After 20+ Years

One of the most telling parts of ECKAN’s story is this:

They’re still discovering new ways to improve.

After attending GoEngage Connect 2026, the team returned energized:

• Expanding staff documentation

• Improving Policy Council tracking

• Exploring inventory and coaching tools

• Identifying new reporting opportunities

“I feel like we’re on a trajectory to really start utilizing it more.”

For long-time users, that kind of momentum matters.

ECKAN team members at GoEngage Connect, where new ideas turn into real-world improvements.

Photo from GoEngage Connect 2026: From left to right: Theresa Whalen, Dana Houk, Lihong Ma (founder of Cleverex/GoEngage), Ember Shumard, and Clara Cox.

Extending Success Beyond Head Start

Because of the strength of the Head Start operations, ECKAN has recently migrated its CAP program onto GoEngage to streamline processes across the agency even further.

From Program Silos to Shared Systems

Like many Community Action Agencies, ECKAN historically operated with different tools and processes across programs.

That created familiar challenges:

• Duplicate data entry across departments

• Inconsistent processes between Head Start and CAP

• Limited visibility across the full agency

• Staff managing multiple systems

The result? 👉 More work, more frustration, and less alignment.

By bringing CAP into the same system, ECKAN is creating consistency in how staff work—regardless of program, to create easier cross-program collaboration and reduce the burden on staff who previously had to navigate multiple systems

While still in the early stages, the goal is clear:

• Align processes across programs

• Reduce duplication

• Improve consistency across teams

👉 What’s working in Head Start is now helping strengthen the entire agency.

The team is proactively investing in:

• Consultation to align workflows

• Training to support adoption

• Standardization across departments

One Platform, One Approach

A Partnership That Continues to Deliver

After all the years, what keeps ECKAN engaged isn’t just the system—it’s the support behind it.

“You listen… you want it to work for us… that’s unusual,” Clara reflected.

Rather than forcing agencies into rigid workflows, GoEngage works alongside them—adapting to their structure, their staff, and their realities.

And when they need help?

“Your tech support—hands down… they never make me feel like an idiot,” Dana added.

That consistency builds trust—and long-term success.

Ready to See What This Could Look Like for Your Agency?

Whether you’re looking to improve enrollment timelines, reduce data errors, or bring your entire team onto one system—we’re here to help.

👉 Let’s talk about how GoEngage can support your team.