Head start program education

Head Start programs serve children between 3 and 5 years old. Head Start and Early Head Start programs also link children and families to other services in the community. Head Start programs are operated by local nonprofit organizations, community action agencies, and school districts.

Children who attend these programs participate in various educational activities. They also receive some free medical and dental care services, have healthy meals and snacks, and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a safe setting. Head Start programs help all participating children succeed. They are required to serve children with special needs, such as physical and developmental delays or homelessness. Head Start and Early Head Start programs must follow many federal requirements. Depending on the rules in your state, these programs may or may not be required to be licensed in addition to meeting federal requirements.

This research indicated an obligation to help disadvantaged groups, compensating for inequality in social or economic conditions. Sargent Shriver soon took the lead in assembling a panel of experts to develop a comprehensive child development program that would help communities meet the needs of disadvantaged preschool children. Among these experts were Dr. The Head Start program Visit disclaimer page began as an eight-week demonstration project designed to help break the cycle of poverty, It provided preschool children from low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and educational needs.

A key tenet of the program established that it be culturally responsive to the communities served, and that the communities have an investment in its success through the contribution of volunteer hours and other donations as non-federal share. In , the first Early Head Start grants were awarded to serve low-income pregnant women and children ages birth to 3. In , the Head Start program was reauthorized to expand to full-day and full-year services.

The Head Start program, to include Early Head Start, was most recently reauthorized in with bipartisan support. These included:. Any agency which met a specified condition Visit disclaimer page during the course of the grant period would not be eligible for funding without competition.

Instead, interested agencies would be given the opportunity to compete to provide Head Start and Early Head Start services in that area through a funding opportunity announcement FOA Visit disclaimer page. Children are able to enter in the middle of the school year. A: Yes, you can. By federal guidelines, the majority of all students must meet low income standards as determined by the federal government.

However, higher income students can be placed on a space available basis. A: AVCP is always looking for substitute teachers, cooks, and family advocates. Skip to content. Facebook page opens in new window YouTube page opens in new window Instagram page opens in new window Twitter page opens in new window.

Education Services—Head Start. Head Start students receive educational and social development advantages that not only last a lifetime, but also can impact future generations. Through Head Start, children are prepared for grade school by providing nurturing learning environment that meets the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs of its students.