EARLY HEAD START

Early Head Start

Early Head Start

Introduction

Head Start is a national early childhood comprehensive program that is comprised of Head Start and Early Head Start. It serves primarily at-risk children and their families and provides a range of education, health, mental health, nutrition, disabilities, as well as family and community support services and programs. The services are free to children and the families whose income is at or below the federal poverty level. Unlike day care, Head Start programs must comply with national program performance standards and are monitored to ensure that they are meeting those performance standards (Administration for Children and Families (ACF), 2008).

Discussion

The program Head Start was started by President Lyndon Johnson, against war against poverty. The Early Head Start program was made to serve children from birth to age three as these years are critical in a child's development. These programs are administered by local education services and nonprofit organizations (Cohen et al, 1997).

Head Start program is focused on helping low income children and their families. Each center two well balanced meals and a snack each day for the children. The children are encouraged to use good dental hygiene; the children brush their teeth after each meal. There are normally two teachers in each classroom, each teacher is works with a group of students, and they are responsible for maintaining files on each child they work with (Zigler & Muenchow, 1992).

The program focuses on reading and math using activities that are fun. The program is a very good start, for children preparing to go to school. There is a medical program which provides minimum care or can refer the child to seek more professional services. A dentist is also contracted to provide routine exams at no cost to the parents.

Head Start can provide referrals for family members who may need to further their education, but setting up programs to get GED's and will also provide vouchers to pay for them to take the testing. The family service rep is also able to help with employment services for parents, and helping the families find adequate housing. If a Head Start parent has an issue with the program, he must go to the center director to get the issue resolved; if the center director doesn't give the answers you are looking for then you go through the chain of command. Each classroom should have the roster of the chain of command in every classroom, in plain sight listed with numbers and addresses on them (Seltzer, 2009).

In order for volunteers, to understand how funding is given they are encouraged to read the non-Federal share guidelines. The law prohibits the program from receiving Federal funds, a Grantee has to establish and be approved to receive funding for the program.

A board of directors is established which is compromised of representatives from community, holding from public, private and low-income sectors. There is a policy council that is responsible for establishing policies and regulations and decisions regarding important aspects related to the Head Start ...