About Head Start
Head Start is a federally-funded child development program designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. Head Start's approach is that the parent is the child's primary educator and that the entire family, as well as the community, must be involved in guiding and nurturing the child.
Over the past four decades, Head Start has touched the lives of more than 250,000 low-income preschool children and families at more than 100 locations in San Diego County.
Early Head Start
Early Head Start is a federally-funded child development program that focuses on children from birth to 3 years old, as well as pregnant and post-partum low-income women. Comprehensive services include early, continuous and intensive child development and family support services for children.
Services
Head Start provides services at no cost to children and families.
Services include:
- Early childhood education for children 3 to 5 years of age.
- One-third of each child's daily nutritional requirements.
- Timely immunizations and screenings for cognitive development, health, speech and language.
- Hearing, vision and dental screenings.
- Preventative health services and early intervention. Each family is assured linkage to an ongoing health care system.
- Training and workshops including first-time homebuyer seminars and budgeting classes.
- Services to pregnant women and their children, including prenatal and post-partum support services, parenting classes, infant and toddler childcare, health, nutrition and social services.
ELIGIBILITY
- The Head Start program is available for income eligible children ages 3 to 5 years of age.
- Children with disabilities are mainstreamed into the program and receive a full range of developmental services.
- Proof of citizenship is not a requirement for enrollment in Head Start
