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Early Head Start and Head Start Services Youth In Need Partnership
Eligibility, Enrollment and Cost
Because Head Start and Early Head Start serves families who meet Federal income guidelines, staff must be able to verify income through W-2 forms, check stubs, letters from employers, award letters and other documents. For those families who meet income guidelines, standard program hours are offered at no cost. Extended day options are available for a fee. A child is age-eligible for Head Start if he or she has reached a third birthday by August 1 of the current year. Age must be documented by a copy of the child’s birth certificate, hospital records or medical cards with birth date included.
Upon expressing interest in the program, a staff member will schedule a convenient time to complete an enrollment application. In order for an application to be complete, the family must provide age and income verification. (To determine eligibility, the income should be reflective of the last 12 months before application.) Staff will discuss the different program options with the parent to determine the option and location that best meets the family’s needs.
After the application is complete, staff will document eligibility on the Income Eligibility Determination and determine the family’s priority for enrollment into the program on the Eligibility Priority Criteria (EPC) Form. The EPC is designed to give priority to children based on identified needs in the community assessment and various family needs. Once this has been completed and all requirements have been met, a child can be selected for enrollment into the program when an opening is available.
Our programs are designed for children whose parents are busy juggling parenthood along with work or school. That’s why we are open year-round, Monday-Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm., except for a few major holidays.
The program’s purpose is to encourage and support each child in growing to his or her full potential in all areas of development. We strongly believe in partnering with parents.
We are accredited through MOA and licensed for 121 children ages six weeks through 12 years. Children are grouped according to age, with separate rooms for infant-toddler and two-year-old care, early preschool, preschool, and school-age programs.
Lemay Child & Family Center uses a “constructivist” approach to early childhood education, and we use the Creative Curriculum as a guide for classroom planning. Our approach is to provide hands-on, experiential learning so that children can construct knowledge for themselves. We also emphasize individualized learning, recognizing that children develop at their own unique pace.
We address all areas of children’s development, placing a special emphasis on early literacy and on social-emotional skills as a foundation for future success. Our social-emotional curriculum is called “Al’s Pals” and it helps children learn to identify and manage a wide range of emotions
As part of our commitment to supporting families, we also offer a wide variety of family activities and parent education/support programs.
