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Programs and Services » Head Start » Head Start

Head Start

Happy 60th Birthday Head Start!

 

Let's celebrate Head Start's 60th birthday! Become a Head Start Champion and sign our birthday card!   

 

 #HappyBirthdayHeadStart

 

Historical Perspective

Head Start is a federal program established in 1965 that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children's growth in the following domains:
  • language and literacy;
  • cognition and general knowledge;
  • physical development and health;
  • social and emotional development; 
  • approaches to learning.
 

Program Commitments

Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families. These include health, nutrition, social, and other services determined necessary by family needs assessments, as well as education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.
Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher. Head Start programs build relationships with families that support:
  • family well-being and positive parent-child relationships;
  • families as learners and lifelong educators;
  • family engagement in transitions;
  • family connections to peers and community;
  • families as advocates and leaders.
 

Partnership Model

The Education Service Center, Region 20 Head Start Program is a partnership model that works collaboratively with ten local school districts in four counties:
  • Atascosa County - Lytle ISD, Pleasanton ISD
  • Bandera County - Bandera ISD
  • Bexar County - Alamo Heights ISD, Somerset ISD, Southside ISD, and Southwest ISD
  • Medina County - Natalia ISD, Devine ISD, and Hondo ISD

Education Service Center, Region 20 is the Head Start grantee for Bandera and Medina County and part of Atascosa and Bexar County. The partnership model allows the district, state-supported Pre-Kindergarten programs the opportunity to offer full-day services for three and four-year-old children.

Each classroom is staffed with a degreed, certified teacher, and a full-time assistant. Full-time assistants are trained and receive their Child Development Associate Credential, and family service associates are trained and receive their Family Services Credential.

One of the many benefits of the partnership model is that both programs capitalize on each other's strengths, thereby providing improved quality educational services for children.

ESC-20 Head Start Program Directory

 

District Web Sites

Alamo Heights ISD - www.ahisd.net
Bandera ISD - www.banderaisd.net
Devine ISD - www.devineisd.org
Hondo ISD - www.hondoisd.net
Lytle ISD - www.lytleisd.org
Natalia ISD - www.nataliaisd.net
Pleasanton ISD - www.pisd.us
Somerset ISD - www.sisdk12.net
Southside ISD - southsideisd.org
Southwest ISD - www.swisd.net
This website is supported by Grant Number 06CH012834 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of Education Service Center, Region 20, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start.

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