1407 Barrow St, Franklin, LA.USA
stmarycommunityaction@gmail.com
(337)828-5703
Head Start programs support children’s growth from birth to age 5 through services that support early learning and development, health, and family well-being. Head Start staff actively engage parents, recognizing family participation throughout the program as key to strong child outcomes.
Head Start services are available at no cost to children ages birth to 5 in eligible families. Head Start Preschool services work with families with children ages 3 to 5. Early Head Start services work with families with children ages birth to 3, and many also serve expectant families. Many programs operate both Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start services. Programs deliver child development services in center-based, home-based, or family child care settings. All Head Start programs continually work toward our mission for eligible children and families to receive high-quality services in safe and healthy settings that prepare children for school and life.
Head Start services are for children from birth to compulsory school age, as well as pregnant women and expectant families. Eligible participants include children whose families meet the federal low-income guidelines — that is, whose incomes are at or below the federal poverty guidelines or who participate in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program public assistance services. Other eligible participants include children who are in the foster care system or experiencing homelessness. Programs may also accept a limited number of children who do not meet any of those eligibility criteria.
MSHS programs have specific eligibility requirements for the children of farmworkers. AIAN Head Start programs enroll tribal children from reservations or nearby areas. All programs enroll children with disabilities and welcome children who speak a language other than English at home.
As there are generally more eligible children than is supported by program funding, each program maintains a waiting list according to their selection criteria for when a spot becomes available.
Since 1965, Head Start programs have reached 40 million children and their families. Children who enrolled in Head Start programs are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, have improved social, emotional, and behavioral development, and are better prepared to be parents themselves than similar children who did not attend the program. Children enrolled in Early Head Start programs have significantly fewer child welfare encounters related to sexual or physical abuse between the ages of 5 and 9 than those who don’t attend.
Research consistently shows a broad pattern of impacts for children at the end of their Head Start enrollment. While these benefits may appear to diminish in the early grades, economic benefits emerge as children become adults. The Head Start program’s two-generation design — coupled with research-based, high-quality comprehensive services — has the power to change the trajectory for children’s outcomes.
