Program Description

The Head Start® and Early Head Start® programs provide comprehensive child development services to low income children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. They are child-focused programs, and have the overall goal of increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families. By "social competence" is meant the child's everyday effectiveness in dealing with both his and her present environment and later responsibilities in school and life.

Head Start® programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and others services to enrolled children and families. Services are also family-centered. They engage parents in their children's learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals. Significant emphasis is placed on the involvement of parents in the administration of Head Start® programs.

In order to reach those most in need of Head Start® services we develop and implement an ongoing process that is designed to actively inform all families with Head start eligible children within the recruitment area of the availability of services and encourage them to apply for admission to the program.

• Seasonal Head Start® offer half day center based services from September to May
• Migrant and seasonal programs offer full day center based service from May to January

Teacher Qualification

All Head Start® classrooms have a qualified teacher with a Child Development Associate credential, (CDA), an Early Childhood Associate, or Bachelors in Early Childhood or related area, with experience in teaching preschool or infants and toddlers, or a State awarded certificate for preschool that meets or exceeds the requirement of a CDA. In addition, teachers in Montessori classrooms are required tobtain an Early Childhood Montessori Education certification. The teacher assistants in those classrooms are also required to acquire a paraprofessional Montessori Education certification.