I need info about Head Start?

Question

anyone with any information on the Head Start program pleez help.

I have a report to do on Head Start for my midterm and a visual to go with it. ANYTHING will work!! Thanks a lot

Answer 1

I went to www.yahoo.com and type into search box 'head start and info' and one of the results was this site:  Administration for Children and Families:  www.acf.hhs.gov/ and can click on 'Head Start'.  Hope that that helps some :)

Perhaps you can make a poster of where Head Start is in the federal education system too such as a diagram or such with some captions.

Answer 2

you have to make **** for money to have your child go to head start sing mom has to make less then 14,000 a yr if she only has 1 child !!! Alos they are in low income areas so not very good locations!! Basically head start sucks

Answer 3

My mom is a nutrition supervisor with the Headstart Headquarters for 7 counties. She has been with Headstart for about 15 yrs, working from the bottom up. I'll ask her for ideas.

Some things I can tell you is- Headstart is run at the federal level, and not the state. They encourage parent involvement very much. They are strict and follow their rules.  They have their holidays at the same time the public schools do. They have 'validation' once every 3 years. This is where people from the federal Headstart headquarters go to each center and do a thorough evaluation of everything about the center. It is a very serious thing.

My kids have been in Headstart, 2 yrs each. I love this place, they care for the kids so much and teach them so much. And also manners, caring for self, community, etc.

I wish regular ps schools were half this good.

Please email me at [e-mail]  in case I forget to get back to you! I'll ask her tomorrow!

Answer 4

need to look at the second answer here but the first person is not correct either

headstart is a federally funded preschool program for mostly economically disenfranchised families and their children but they do take up to approximately 10% of average and above average income children in the program. But they do have a very rigid area of how and who can be in the program.....the first group who gets spots are as follows children who miss the local kindergarten cut off date, then the children who have disabilities(or parents who need respite care---this is usually 10-15% of those enrolled), then 4 year olds, then any remaining spots to 3 year olds. they also maintain a waiting list, that can change daily, weekly or monthly depending on the needs of a child or family and can also have children go to the next nearest site if it is an emergency.

Answer 5

What you need to do is get off here and contact the principal or special education department of a local public school system.  I have a feeling that's probably what your teacher had in mind when assigning the report.

But apparently, someone who knows what they're talking about needs to give answers, as opposed to the woman who answered the question before me.

Not all headstart programs are in low income areas.  It really depends on the school district.  Many actually higher income areas have them because they have better school systems, thanks to the high property taxes.  I've looked into getting my son in headstart programs in good schools and good areas.

There are a few qualifications.  If your child has delays or will be involved with special education (not just mentally retarded kids, but kids with speech problems, developmental delays, etc.), the child can qualify for Head Start.

Also, at-risk children in lower income families can qualify, because often the alternative for those families is less than stellar childcare, often without emphasis on actually TEACHING the children.  

Not all primary schools have Head Start programs, but I would say well over half of the school districts do have at least one campus offering Head Start programs.  Some of the programs are one year (offering enrollment for one year prior to kindergarten) and some are two.

Most of these programs are only as good as the school district they're a part of, so yes, in lower income areas, the head start program is not great, because the public school system is not great.  In higher income areas, the public schools are usually better, so the headstart programs are better.

They don't "suck".  They are one of the only ways to at least attempt to ensure every kid starts out with the best chances possible of being successful.  No, it doesn't always work, but it's better than no safety net at all.

EDIT:   You're right, I was out of line and jumped to a hasty, inaccurate conclusion about you.  My apologies.