Resources for Parents: Prenatal - 6

Success By 6

An initiative by the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, this is a community-based movement of public and private partners working together to deliver proven solutions for children.  The goal is to ensure that all children ages zero to six are healthy, nurtured, and ready to succeed.  Check out www.readsingplay.org for more information.

Additionally, the Family Friendly Employer program was launched in 2008.  The program encourages employers to evaluate programs or policies to help working parents better manage the stress in balancing work and home.

Head Start

What is Head Start?

Head Start is a national child development program for children from birth to age 5, which provides services to promote academic, social and emotional development, as well as providing social, health and nutrition services for income-eligible families.

Goals

• To enhance children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development
• To enable parents to be better caregivers and teachers to their children
• To help parents meet their own goals, including economic independence

History

Head Start was established in 1965 to help low income families provide their children with developmentally appropriate education, health, and social services to better prepare them to achieve in school and in society.  Initially, Head Start served preschool children between 3 and 5 years of age.

Early Head Start (EHS) was created in 1994 to target the needs of pregnant women, infants, and toddlers, thereby fostering positive development at even earlier stages.

Funding

Head Start is funded by the United States Congress and administered through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Statistics

• Head Start has served more than 18 million children and their families.
• Currently, there are more than 1,500 Head Start programs and 16,000 sites nationwide.
• In Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), Head Start served more than 38,000 children and their families in 2000-2001.

Regional Sites

Click here to view all of the Head Start sites in Missouri.