This is a question that I asked myself when I was approached by the school. Does it matter? I was apprehensive to say the least, and was very unsure of the unknown. I didn’t see a point in sending my child who was three, to be with people that I didn’t know. What could she possibly learn?? I had heard about other peoples experiences with Head Start, and thought that it was basically daycare. Boy was I ever wrong!! That was the farthest thing from the truth!!
When I actually read through the information, I was shocked at how little I really knew. There were so many programs and opportunities out there for my child, and I was just letting them pass us by. I learned very quickly that it was much more than “daycare”. It is actually a very beneficial program for children and it prepares them for kindergarten. I was surprised at all the programs and activities that were offered for parents as well, to participate and engage with their children. How awesome is that?!?! I enrolled my daughter the very next day.
There is no better feeling than the one I get when my daughter comes home and tells me all the new things she has learned! She is so excited to be in school, and to be able to be around other children her own age. It’s amazing to watch her grow and see her progress. I never really realized how much of a difference it would make for her to be around other kids her age. She is learning social skills that I would never be able to teach her fully. Some things can only be learned by doing, and experiencing. I am learning right along with her.
The experience that I have had, and the growth that I have seen in my child since enrolling her, have far exceeded my expectations! Once I put my own “ideas” aside, I came to learn that YES…it most definitely does matter!!
What is Head Start?
Head Start is a federally funded program that provides free services for prenatal women and families with children up to five years of age. Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. The Head Start program is authorized by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.
Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services. Head Start services are responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.
Head Start encourages the role of parents as their child's first and most important teachers. Programs build relationships with families that support positive parent-child relationships, family well-being, and connections to peers and community. Head Start began as a program for preschoolers. Three- and 4-year-olds made up over 80 percent of the children served by Head Start last year.
Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Early Head Start programs are available to the family until the child turns 3 years old and is ready to transition into Head Start or another pre-K program. Early Head Start helps families care for their infants and toddlers through early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive services.
For more information about local programming, call 866-754-9315 ext. 3369 or visit the website at: http://www.8cap.org/
This blog post was contributed by Patricia Coira a parent of a child in a local Head Start program as well as Head Start staff, Danielle Moy and Melissa Stevens.
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