EARLY HEAD START

Early Head Start is a comprehensive child development program which serves children from birth to age three, pregnant women, and their families.  It is a child-focused program and has the overall goal of increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families. “Social Competence” means the child’s everyday effectiveness in dealing with both his or her present environment, and later responsibilities in school and life.  Social competence takes into account the interrelatedness of social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

Early Head Services are also family centered, following the tenets that children develop in the context of their family and culture, and that parents are respected as the primary educators and nurturers of their children.  Early Head Start offers family members opportunities and support for growth and change, believing that people can identify their own strengths, needs and interests, and are capable of finding solutions.

POLICY COMMITTEE

The Policy Council at the grantee agency level and the Policy Committee at the delegate agency level, have policy-making authority, and therefore, are governed by locally determined by-laws that ensure clarity and consistency in function and purpose.

PARENT COMMITTEE

Parent Committees provide every parent of an enrolled child the opportunity to assist in the development of activities that address their interests and needs, and that support the education and healthy development of their children.

Web sites for additional information:

Early Head Start National Resource Center
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Head Start Information and Publication Center
Head Start Bureau
National Head Start Association
Community Development Institute
The Administration for children and Families

CDS-CC is not responsible for the accuracy of these web-site links,
or their information.