Education   Health   Nutrition   Special Needs   Family Partnerships
Home-Based   Full-Day/Full-Year Head Start   Transportation   Eligibility   Enrollment   Program Staff

Education - In Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms children learn through play, hands-on experiences and interaction with a primary care giver. Infants and toddlers receive ongoing care and attention through interactions with consistent primary care giver/teachers who receive specialized training in infant and toddler development and care. Infant and toddler classrooms are designed to provide an environment that stimulates their development and meets their varied eating and sleeping patterns. Pre-school classrooms are set up in "learning centers" such as reading, dramatic play (dress-up, puppets, playing house), hands-on math, science and others. Your child has an opportunity each day to spend time in activities of his/her choice. Some of the things your child learns about in Head Start include, social skills such as sharing and getting along with other children, pre-reading skills such as an enjoyment of books, dictating stories and becoming more familiar with the letters of the alphabet. Our education program is designed especially for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children and the unique manner in which they learn. Through Head Start your child’s first experience in a center setting is fun, exciting and positive.

Health - Each school year, children who attend Head Start and Early Head Start receive several very important health screenings. Specially trained staff screen your child for any problems with their vision or hearing. Pre-school children visit the dentist's office for a dental screening within their first 90 days of enrollment at Head Start. If any problems are suspected, you will be contacted and our Family Liaison staff will assist you to get follow-up services for your child such as an appointment with an eye doctor, dentist or hearing specialist (audiologist).

Nutrition - At Head Start and early Head Start we provide 2/3 of the nutrients your child needs each day. Not only are our meals nutritious, but they are delicious as well. Infants are fed based upon their needs rather than a pre-set schedule. The Early Head Start program is equipped to meet your infant's unique nutritional needs including formulas, the introduction of new foods and the transition to "table food". If you are breastfeeding, we can assure your breast milk is provided in a warm and nurturing manner to your child. Meals are served family style, with children and staff eating together around the table. Your child will have an opportunity to pour milk and serve themselves all while learning good table manners.

Special Needs - At Head Start we welcome infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers with special needs. Our classrooms are fully inclusive and children with special needs learn alongside their friends. We also have a staff person specially designated to assist you as you navigate the Early Intervention System or access Special Education in the public schools. We can assist you to get specialized services for your infant, toddler, or pre-schooler such as speech, physical therapy, or medical specialists.

Family Partnerships - Each Head Start center has a Family Liaison who can assist families in securing other services in the community such as medical care, energy assistance, housing, continued education, transportation and many others. Each school year, our Family Liaisons will meet individually with you to make sure that both our program and others in the community are meeting your needs. Families participating in Early Head Start will receive monthly home visits that include the services described above as well as information about infant and toddler development.

As a parent you are one of the most important people at Head Start and Early Head Start. We encourage you to participate in activities or volunteer at the center as often as you can. Each center has a parent group that meets once each month. Parent groups elect their own president, policy council representative and other officers. Parent groups have an opportunity to provide input into the operation of the center as well as plan special activities for the children. Head Start and Early Head Start have a policy council that meets each month. Over half of the representatives to the Policy Council are Head Start parents who are elected by their center parent group. The Policy Council is a very important aspect of Head Start and is responsible for approving new policies, personnel, budgets and other critical program issues.

Home-Based - At Head Start and Early Head Start we also offer our program through weekly home visits. Each home visit is approximately 1½ hours in length and includes special activities for the child, parent and child together as well as a snack for everyone. Once each month your child will have an opportunity to participate in a cooking activity. Family Days are held twice each month for families who participate in the Home-Based option. Family Days offer a great opportunity for your child to play with other children while you have an opportunity to get to know other parents in your community. Parent groups are held during Family Days with special activities and speakers that are of interest to the group. Home-Based parent groups also elect officers and a policy council representative just as in the centers.

Full-Day/Full-Year Head Start - To help meet the needs of working parents, the Head Start Centers located in Anna and Vienna offer extended day programming throughout the entire year. The operating hours for these centers is generally 6:30 am - 6:00 pm. At these centers part of the day is funded through Head Start, and part through the Child Care Subsidy Program. The result is a full day of quality educational programming for children ages 3 - 5 that is open all year long and at a low cost to parents. During the summer months families with incomes above the Head Start or Child Care Subsidy guidelines are able to enroll their child with us as any other private or public child care center at a daily rate of $17.68 for a full day or $8.84 for a half day. Families who meet the income guidelines for Head Start or the Child Care Subsidy program are charged a parent co-payment on a sliding fee schedule dependent upon their income.

Every Head Start center is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services as a child care facility.

Eligibility - To be eligible for Head Start pre-school program, your child must be at least 3 years old and still be too young for kindergarten. Early Head Start services for infants and toddlers from 6 weeks of age will be available at the Cairo Center and in Pulaski County beginning June 1, 2002 and include full work day care on a full year basis. Home-based programming for families with infants and toddlers will be available in all counties beginning April 1, 2002. Full work day services are currently available on a full year basis for pre-school age children at the Anna and Vienna centers. While Head Start does have income guidelines, up to 10% of the children in the program may come from families whose incomes exceed the guidelines. A total of 590 pre-schoolers and 62 infants and toddlers can be enrolled in the program at a time.

Enrollment - You can enroll your child in Head Start or Early Head Start at any time throughout the year. To get the process started all you need to do is complete a short information sheet which is available from the receptionist at any Southern 7 Health Department Clinic or Head Start Center. You can also get an application by calling our administrative office at 1-800-698-4820 ext. 105 and we will be happy to send one in the mail to you. The next step is completing a full application packet. If desired, our staff are available to assist in the application process. We will even come to your home to complete an application with you at your request. Of course, the application process can be completed by mail, or at any of our offices. Head Start also holds registration days during the spring and summer.