About Head Start

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Many parents wonder what Head Start is and how it can benefit their child’s early development. Head Start is a federally funded program designed to foster the healthy development of young children from low-income families. Established in the 1960s under the Economic Opportunity Act, Head Start emerged as a cornerstone initiative to break the cycle of poverty. Its comprehensive approach addresses not only the educational needs of preschool-aged children but also their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological well-being.

The program recognizes that a child’s development is intrinsically linked to their family environment. Therefore, Head Start actively promotes family engagement, offering resources and support to empower parents and caregivers. By involving families in their child’s early learning journey, the program strengthens the foundation for lifelong success and builds stronger communities.

Through its holistic model, Head Start has remained a trusted resource for early childhood education and family support for decades.

Services for Children and Families

Head Start programs help children get ready to succeed in school and in life through learning experiences tailored to their changing needs and abilities. Our programs do this in a few key ways:

Early Learning and Development

  • Build strong relationships as the foundational driver for early learning.
  • Engage families in their child's learning and recognizing parents as a child's first and most influential teacher.
  • Implement effective practices to promote children's growth in five key domains (approaches to learning, social and emotional development, language and literacy, cognition, and physical development).
  • Encourage learning through play, creative expression, and guided activities with schedules and lesson plans that include the cultural and language heritage of each child and family in relevant ways.
  • Create welcoming learning environments in indoor and outdoor settings that are well-organized and safe.
  • Conduct ongoing screenings and assessments to guarantee each child is making progress.
  • Collaborate with parents and community agencies when further assessment is needed.
  • Support children with disabilities and build on their strengths.

Health and Wellness

  • Engage all children in both indoor and outdoor physical activity .
  • Serve breakfast, lunch, and snacks that are healthy and nutritious .
  • Ensure children receive medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screening .
  • Make sure children brush their teeth after meals; promote oral health and hygiene .
  • Help families understand and support their child's health and behavioral health needs.
  • Assist with mental health services for children and families, as needed.
  • Build resilience to help children and families heal from traumatic experiences or events and overwhelming situations.

Family Well-being

  • Offer parenting support and strategies.
  • Support parental health and links to community services during pregnancy .
  • Connect families to community and federal assistance.
  • Help families identify and reach their goals and dreams, including those related to finances and economic mobility , housing, employment, and education.
  • Provide a career pathway in early care and education — about 22% of program staff are current or former Head Start parents.

Family Engagement

  • Invite parents to share information and insights about their child.
  • Celebrate the role of fathers and male caregivers through father engagement . • Engage parents as their child's lifelong advocate.
  • Engage parents as their child's lifelong advocate.
  • Welcome parents to offer ways to improve children and families' experiences in the program, including through leadership roles on the Policy Council .
  • Support child and family transitions to the next step in Head Start, kindergarten, or another early childhood program.