Early Head Start      

   Susan Stafford-Program Director

    (Birth to Three years)

What is Early Head Start ?

   Head Start has expanded to offer services to pregnant women and children birth to three and their families.  The Early Head Start program focuses on encouraging the development of infants and toddlers and helping parents to be better caregivers of their children while meeting their own personal goals.                  

    In responding to the need of in Wyoming County, an Early Head Start program was initiated in 1998 to provide comprehensive child and family development services to pregnant teenagers and teenage parents with children birth to three.  Pregnant and parenting teens enrolled in school will also be accepted for services when necessary.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF EARLY HEAD START: 

~   To provide prenatal support services pregnant teens within Wyoming County to ensure a healthy start for infants being born to teenage mothers.

~   To provide center-based services for infants and toddlers of teenage parents enrolled in Wyoming County Schools operating on a school day / school year basis.

~   To provide comprehensive child and development services to pregnant teens and infants and toddlers and their families.

~ To maximize the parent / child bond and involvement of both teen parents through the provision of services at the county high schools.

~ To encourage and facilitate breast feeding of infants born to teen parents.

~   To prevent teen parents from dropping out of school by providing on-site care of the infants and toddlers and developing transportation systems that remove barriers to remaining in school.

~   To facilitate eventual self sufficiency of the young family through the attainment of a high school diploma and progression to other employment and training and educational programs through the development of the Family Partnership Agreement.

~   To improve the parenting skills of both young parents through specific classes offered within the school system, the provision of parenting education classes and through the active participation of parents in the center.

~   To facilitate the development of an early child development career track by providing training and volunteer and job experience opportunities for all students in cooperation with academic classes and the school system's School-to-Work project.

Center Locations:

Central Office Staff Listing: