The Head-Start Program
The Head-Start Program is an eight-month educational program designed to help low-income children and their families in the United States. The program was started in 1965 to help children ages three to five to enter school better prepared, and to help them to continue advancing in school. The Head-Start Program helps prepare low-income children for the transition to kindergarten by providing stimulating educational activities that promote physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. The program provides services to the entire family and addresses their needs, such as parenting skills and job training. It is seen to have incredible benefits in helping children to get the best start in life.
Head-Start Programs are available to thousands of low-income families in over 3,500 locations across the United States. These programs exist in hospitals, schools, childcare centers, play groups, daycares, churches and more. The services available to families vary depending on the program, but some common services include: parenting skills training, nutrition education and food, healthcare and referrals, education assessments, and family support services.
Head-Start Programs help children develop social competencies that will help them to make new friends, play well with others, and form healthy relationships. The programs also help in language and literacy development, giving children the skills to be successful in school. The program combines educational activities such as reading, writing, and math skills with activities that focus on social/emotional/cognitive development.
Head-Start benefits families as well. Programs often provide parent education, home visits and resources to help them cope and make their lives easier. The programs also provide classes and resources to help families learn how to balance their lives and provide a better future for their children.
The Head-Start Programs have had a long history of success, and are considered one of the most successful early childhood education programs. The combination of educational activities and family support services has been seen to be essential to the success of the program.
As the Head-Start Program continues to help children and families, evaluators will continue to measure the program’s success. The evaluators assess the programs to make sure they meet the educational and developmental needs of the children who participate in the program. They also look at how the program impacts families and whether their needs are being met.
Despite the success that the Head-Start Program has seen since its inception, there are still many low-income families in the US who need help in providing their children with a successful start in life. The program continues to work hard to provide needed social and educational services to children and their families, so that they can have the resources to become self-sufficient.
