.: Head Start and Migrant Head Start Information
Mission 1
Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families.
Program Description 1
The Head Start program provides grants to local public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. In FY 1995, the Early Head Start program was established to serve children from birth to three years of age in recognition of the mounting evidence that the earliest years matter a great deal to children's growth and development.
Head Start programs 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 local Head Start programs.
Early Childhood Development and Health 1
Head Start's commitment to wellness embraces a comprehensive vision of health for children, families, and staff. The objective of Child Health and Development Services is to ensure that, through collaboration among families, staff, and health professionals, all child health and developmental concerns are identified, and children and families are linked to an ongoing source of continuous, accessible care to meet their basic health needs.
The objective of Education and Early Childhood Development is to provide all children with a safe, nurturing, engaging, enjoyable, and secure learning environment, in order to help them gain the awareness, skills, and confidence necessary to succeed in their present environment, and to deal with later responsibilities in school and in life. Each child is treated as an individual in an inclusive community that values, respects, and responds to diversity. The varied experiences provided by the program support the continuum of children's growth and development, which includes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of each child.
Family and Community Partnerships 1
Head Start offers parents opportunities and support for growth, so that they can identify their own strengths, needs and interests, and find their own solutions. The objective of Family Partnerships is to support parents as they identify and meet their own goals, nurture the development of their children in the context of their family and culture, and advocate for communities that are supportive of children and families of all cultures. The building of trusting, collaborative relationships between parents and staff allows them to share with and to learn from one another.
Head Start serves families within the context of the community, and recognizes that many other agencies and groups work with the same families. The objective of Community Partnerships is to ensure that grantee and delegate agencies collaborate with partners in their communities, in order to provide the highest level of services to children and families, to foster the development of a continuum of family centered services, and to advocate for a community that shares responsibility for the healthy development of children and families of all cultures.
Head Start Program Service Areas 2
Education: Ensuring children enrolled in Head Start begin school ready to learn is a
primary program goal. Activities are directed toward skill and knowledge domains
and domain elements, as well as social, emotional, and physical development.
Indicators of each child's progress are incorporated in the program's annual self-
assessment.
Health: Wellness is recognized as a significant contributor to each child's ability to
thrive and develop. Accordingly, health screenings evaluate the child's overall health
status and regular health check-ups and good practices in oral health, hygiene,
nutrition, personal care, and safety are incorporated in the program.
Family and Community Partnerships: This service area recognizes the vital
contributions made by parents and community members. Families receive support to
become more self-sufficient, and both groups are involved in the operation,
governance, and evaluation of the program.
Disabilities: Fully including children with disabilities is a required element of the
Head Start program. This initiative is beneficial to all involved: children with and
without disabilities, parents of children with and without disabilities, and staff
members.
Program Management and Operation: This aspect of the program focuses on
providing the systems and support to deliver high-quality child development services
to children from low-income families, including training for teaching and other staff.
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