EARLY CHILDHOOD
Head Start Mission
Provide comprehensive services for young children birth to five and their families in education, health, family engagement and building support systems to achieve school readiness and lifelong skills.
- Provide meaningful, culturally responsive educational experiences that will help children grow intellectually, socially and emotionally.
- Provide health services such as dental, developmental, vision and hearing screenings for early identification of health problems as well as provide support services in nutrition and mental health.
- Build respectful relationships with families through providing opportunities for families to engage with their child in and out of the classroom, training and classes for personal development, as well as involvement in the program through planning and implementation of activities through committees and policy council.
Headstart Vision Statement
“Getting the Gila River Indian Community’s young children birth to five and their families ready for school and ready for life”
Headstart Program History
The Gila River Indian Community Head Start Program has been in operation since 1965. It provides services to children from low-income families who are three to five years old. The Head Start Program provides comprehensive, health, nutritional, educational, social and other services. In addition to Head Start, the Gila River Indian Community also has an Early Head Start Program providing services to families with infants from 6 weeks to age 3.
Parents are encouraged to participate in program development, family and community partnerships and their children’s physical and educational development. The Program provides training and educational opportunities for parents. Participation in the program promotes involvement and understanding of child development to support and educate parents of young children. The Gila River Head Start Program believes that parents are their child’s first teacher.
Children with disabilities are an inclusive part of this Head Start Program and a minimum of 10% of the total funded enrollment will consist of children with disabilities. Head Start and Early Childhood Special Services will collaborate with parents and Center