Child Care and Headstart

Health and Head Start

Head Start helps children and families access high quality, free health services in their own communities. Children are screened by a professional within the first 45 days, so any issues can be addressed quickly. Head Start families have year-round access to regular medical care, including check-ups, dental care and mental health services. And every day at the Head Start center, children learn about healthy living. They learn about good nutrition doing fun classroom cooking activities. They are taught to wash their hands before meals and brush their teeth every day, so that these and other healthy habits become practice at an early age. At all times, staff help families find answers to healthcare questions that come up and get medical attention when they need it.

Children with Disabilities

Children with disabilities are a welcome part of every Head Start program. We understand that every child has unique strengths and unique needs. At Head Start, parents, teachers and specialists all work together to develop a unique program for each child—both in the classroom and at home. Children with disabilities are included in the regular activities, and play and learn right along with all the other children. Head Start has the resources to help many children with disabilities, whether the disabilities are physical, developmental or behavioral. Year after year, children with disabilities make up more than 10% of Head Start’s total enrollment. That’s because year after year Head Start is 100% committed to their success.

Parents: Get a New Start with Head Start

A new job…A high school degree…A better place to live…For adults, it all can start at Head Start. With job training, adult education classes, housing assistance and more, Head Start offers many opportunities for adults looking for something better. Every family works with one Head Start Family Worker who helps all members of the family identify goals, and figure out what to do to accomplish them. All centers even have a separate area where adults can come to learn, talk or just meet others.

Head Start also has programs that address many of the complex issues facing families today. Many Head Start centers reach out to grandparents and fathers (and father figures) in special ways. With so many ways to help adults both as parents and as individuals, Head Start just might be a new beginning.

* Adult Education

* GED Programs

* Computer Training

* English Language Classes

* Job Training

* Job Referrals

* Health Services

* Cooking and

* Nutrition Workshops

* Housing Assistance

Head Start: A Partnership with Parents

From the beginning, Head Start has been run as a partnership between staff and families. In every Head Start program, parents and other adult family members share in making many of the important decisions. Parents even make up a majority of the Citywide Policy Council that shares responsibility for Head Start programs. 

Parents also serve as vital connections to the community. They may assist in recruiting new families, or become spokespeople for Head Start. Some work with outreach programs, others participate in support groups. In fact, the reason Head Start does so much for families is that families do so much for Head Start.

Staff: The Heart of Head Start

In the middle of it all is the Head Start staff: professional, personable, experienced, dedicated and excited to help families take advantage of all Head Start has to offer.

Right from the beginning—from the first phone call, from the first meeting—it is clear that the incredible people who work at Head Start are incredibly committed to what they do.

Head Start staff members often live right in the community, and have been with Head Start for years. In fact, many staff members started out as Head Start parents. Some even started as Head Start children.

Teachers, family workers, volunteers, administrators, health professionals, cooks and custodians—everyone at Head Start is here to do whatever it takes to help Head Start families succeed.