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Head Start |
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Head Start |
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCELast Modified on 10/30/2008 09:01:19
- Early childhood education
- Nutritious meals and snacks
- Medical and dental services
- Social services for families
- Activities for parents
- Assistance for children with special needs
- Comprehensive child and family development services
City of Phoenix Human Services Department
200 W. Washington St., 19th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1611
(602) 262-4040 FAX (602) 495-5690"In five and one-half years on the Juvenile Court bench in hundreds of delinquency cases, I remember only two children who went through a quality preschool program. We will never feel the full protective effect of quality preschools until we provide them for all at-risk children."
John Foreman
Presiding Judge of the Juvenile CourtCity of Phoenix Human Services Department Mission
To provide comprehensive social services to improve the quality of life for Phoenix residents.Head Start Mission
To promote self-sufficiency and well-being by providing quality, comprehensive family and child development services.
Headstart Enrollment in English or in Espaņol.
The Head Start Program is based on the premise that all children share certain needs and that children of low-income families, in particular, can benefit from a comprehensive developmental program to meet those needs. The Head Start approach makes the following assumptions:
- A child can benefit from a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program to foster development.
- Because the family is the principal influence on the child's development, the child's family, as well as the community, must be involved in the program.
- Local communities are allowed latitude to develop creative program designs so long as the basic goals, objectives and standards of the comprehensive program are maintained.
The overall goal of the Head Start Program is to bring about a greater degree of social competence in children of low-income families. Social competence means the child's everyday effectiveness in dealing with both the present environment and later responsibilities in school and in life. Social competence takes into account the interrelatedness of cognitive and intellectual development, physical and mental health, nutritional needs as well as other factors. To achieve social competence, Head Start objectives and performance standards provide for:
Source: Head Start Performance Standards
- Improvement of the child's health and physical abilities, including appropriate steps to correct present physical and mental problems and to enhance every child's access to an adequate diet.
- Improvement of the family's attitude toward future health care and physical abilities.
- Encouragement of self-confidence, spontaneity, curiosity and self-discipline that will assist the development of the child's social and emotional health.
- Enhancement of the child's mental processes and skills, with particular attention to conceptual and communication skills.
- Establishment of patterns and expectations of success for the child that will create a climate of confidence for present and future learning efforts and overall development.
- Enhancement of the ability of the child and family to relate to one another and to others.
- Development of a sense of dignity and self-worth within the child and his family.
City of Phoenix Head Start
A comprehensive preschool program for children from low-income familiesProject Head Start, launched as a summer program by the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965, was designed to break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children and their families with a program to meet their social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. Head Start is now a $6 billion dollar program that provides comprehensive services to low-income children from age three to the age of school attendance. A new program, Early Head Start, serving children from birth to three years was initiated in 1995. Head Start serves nearly 900,000 children and families nationwide, through a network of approximately 1,600 grantees.
The city of Phoenix Head Start Program is administered by the Human Services Department, Education Division. Since its inception in 1965, the city of Phoenix Head Start has provided comprehensive child and family development services to more than 50,000 families. In March 2007, the city of Phoenix Head Start program celebrates its 42nd anniversary.
Head Start has experienced growth in recent years, more than doubling in size since 1990. The program currently receives approximately $21 million in federal assistance and serves more than 3,200 children each year in the following critical areas:
Education
- Each child receives a variety of individualized learning experiences to foster social, intellectual, physical and emotional growth. Children participate in indoor and outdoor play and are introduced to the concepts of words and numbers. They are encouraged to express their feelings, develop self-confidence and their ability to get along with others.
Health and Nutrition
- Head Start emphasizes preventive care and early detection of health problems. Every child receives a complete physical examination including vision and hearing tests, immunizations, a dental exam and identification of disabling conditions. Follow-up services are provided. Through the nutrition program, children are served a minimum of one balanced meal and a healthful snack each day.
Parent Involvement
- An essential part of every Head Start program is the involvement of parents in education, program planning and operation. Parents play an active role in all aspects of the program. Through that involvement and other training and activities, parents also have the opportunity to gain skills and secure employment. Many employees at both the grantee and delegate agency levels are former Head Start parents.
Social Services
- A case management program assists families in assessing their own needs, identifying and securing services and building upon their individual strengths. A variety of community resources are available to families in addition to crisis intervention and emergency assistance.
Disabilities
- At least 10 percent of Head Start's enrollment is dedicated to children with disabilities or other special needs. Specially trained staff work closely with community agencies to provide services to disabled children while simultaneously providing them with an integrated, developmentally appropriate early childhood experience within the Head Start classroom.
Mental Health
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- Mental health professionals work with staff and parents to increase awareness of the special problems of children and provide a link to mental health resources.
