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Early Head Start

History
While the Head Start preschool program began in the United States in 1965 to address the need for services for low-income children, ages three to five, limited services were available for children under the age of three both at that time and for many years following. To address the need for services for young children, Early Head Start was created in 1994. This program for low-income families with infants and toddlers is available in all 50 states and, like Head Start, provides comprehensive developmental services for children and social services for their families. Early Head Start offers educational, social, medical, dental, nutritional, and mental health services, along with parent involvement activities for families.

In San Mateo County, IHSD’s Early Head Start services are provided in home-based, center-based and family child care learning environments.

Early Head Start Experience
Similar to Head Start, IHSD’s Early Head Start program offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the children that it serves. The curriculum for infants and toddlers is centered around individualized care giving that is sensitive to their daily needs, and provides many opportunities for learning through play. Physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development is the focus of the activities and services that teachers and family service specialists provide to each family. However, the Early Head Start curriculum differs from the Head Start curriculum in its greater concentration on the challenges of new parenting and the acquisition of parenting skills

Each child enrolled in the infant program has a primary caregiver with whom they develop a trusting and secure relationship. The caregiver’s role is to provide attention, guidance, encouragement, and consistent support during all activities. As a result, infants and toddlers learn to trust that their needs will be met in a predictable, consistent manner. The routine of each infant and toddler is documented by the caregiver on a daily basis for parents to review.

Early Head Start staff completes developmental screenings for each child, shares child development information with the families, and offers supportive home activities to enhance children’s development and learning and to strengthen the parent-child dyad.

Staff work in close collaboration with families in the program. We believe that parents play the most important role in their children’s health and development, as they are their children’s most important teachers. Some of the ways parents can be involved in their children’s program include:

· assisting family service specialists and teachers in developing an individualized care plan for their child

· working with their children at home to extend the children’s learning experience

· participating in socializations and parent education workshops.

Program Options & Locations
Families enrolled in Early Head Start are served through three program options:

• The center-based programs in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo & South San Francisco
• The Home-based program, a home-visiting service based out of Redwood City and South San Francisco
• Family Child-Care homes located throughout San Mateo County

Directory of Sites and Offices

Enrollment/Eligibility
Enrollment Guidelines for San Mateo County Early Head Start Programs are as follows:

Enrollment Guidelines
A. Families enrolled in the Head Start and Early Head Start Programs must meet Federal income guidelines.

Federal Income Guidelines

B. A minimum if 10% of Head Start/Early Head Start enrollment is reserved for children with certifiable special needs conditions or disabilities

C. San Mateo County Head Start/Early Head Start enrolls eligible families regardless of race, color, religion and/or disability

D. Families must be residents of San Mateo County and must provide proof of county residence.

Eligibility
To enroll your child in the Early Head Start program, we need to receive the following information:

• The Early Head Start Application
• Proof of child’s age (preferably Birth Certificate)
• Proof of income for each adult family member
• Childs immunization records including: 3 Polio, 4DTP, 3Hep B, at least 1Hib, and 1MMR given on or after the first birthday

Early Head Start Cover letter and Application-English and Spanish

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