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Preschool Services Department
Site Supervisor - Sharon Erdmann

Head Start Parent Information

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Head Start
State Preschool
Other Programs
Alternative Pay Prog.
General Child Care
Non Discrimatory
Holidays
Attendance Policy
Late Drop Policy
Classes
Snacks
Discipline Policy
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What is Head Start/State Preschool?

Head Start:
· is a federally funded child development program.
· serves children 3 to 5 years of age (and toilet trained), who live in a defined target area.
· provides children and their families with comprehensive services to meet their educational, social, health, nutritional and emotional needs.
State Preschool:
· is a state funded child development program.
· serves children 3.9 to 4.9 years of age (and toilet trained), who live in a defined target area.
· combines with Head Start in San Bernardino County to provide comprehensive services to children and families.


Components
Education
Health Services
Mental Health
Nutrition
Social Services
Eligibility Services
Disabilities
Workshops A
Workshops B
Parent Involvement
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Other Programs:

The Preschool Services Department operates two additional child development programs funded by the State Department of Education, Office of Child development. For more information about these programs, please call (909) 387 2362 or (909) 387 2363.

[Top] Alternative Payment Program
· gives working or student parents an option to choose either a licensed day care home or a licensed day care facility.
· serves children from birth to 14 years of age.
· has low income criteria which the family must meet.

[Top] General Child Care
· accommodates families who need full day child care because the parents are working, in training, or in school.
· serves children from 2 years (and toilet trained) to 4.9 years.
· has low income criteria which the family must meet.

[Top] All programs operate on a non-discrimatory basis, according equal treatment and access to services without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, political affiliation, marital status, health condition or physical disabilities.


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Holidays:

Thanks Giving (2 days)
Christmas(2 weeks)
Martin Luther King's Birthday
President's Day
Spring Vacation/Memorial Day(1 week)

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Attendance Policy:

Your child is expected to attend class each day unless he/she is ill.
When your child is ill:

· please call the center each day.
· send a note when your child returns, saying exactly what was wrong with the child (cold, flu, fever, etc.) and the dates he/she was out of class.

If your child becomes ill or is brought to the center ill, he/she will be sent home.
Your child must be signed in by a person who is at least 18 years of age.

If your child rides the bus, he/she must be accompanied at the bus stop by an authorized person at least 18 years of age.

If no one is at the bus stop to receive your child, he/she will not be brought back to the school and you will have to pick him/her up.
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Late Drop Policy:

It is important that children are picked up from the center on time. If you are late, the following steps will be taken:

· We will call you and the numbers on your child's emergency card.
· If we get no response, we will call the police and the police will transport your child to the nearest station.

Your child may be dropped if:
· He/she is out for more than two consecutive days and you have not contacted the center.
· You have failed to pick up him/her at the bus stop or center on time for two times.

We ask that you:
· Contact the center if you are going to be late.
· Make arrangements with someone on the emergency card to pick up the child.

If the above is impossible, go to the center. A note will be posted informing you of the whereabouts of your child.

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Type of Classes:

Center Base
2, Part Day Classes

· Are 3 1/2 hours in length.
· Run Monday through Friday.
· Focus on the child with an emphasis on education services.
· Are either in the morning or in the afternoon.

2, Full Day Classes (Year Round)

· Are 9-10 hours in length.
· Run Monday through Friday.
· Require that the parent is working or is a student.
· Focus on the child with an emphasis on education services.

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Children in Center Base receive a free breakfast (morning class) or snack (afternoon class) and a free lunch.

Depending on the area served, some classes may have transportation provided.

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Home Base (West End Only)

· focuses on the parents as the primary teacher of the child.
· Assists the parents in finding ways to help their children develop skills.
· Makes the families aware of available resources.
· Assigns a Home Visitor to meet with the parent at home 4 times a
month for 1 1/2 hours each visit.
· Brings the children together every other week for socialization time at a center.
· Reaches the entire family.

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Discipline Policy:

One of the goals of the program is to build self-esteem in children. We do this with positive attention and by setting limits for inappropriate behavior. Corporal punishment and other humiliating or frightening techniques are prohibited. Constructive methods are used in maintaining group control and handling individual behavior. Examples of constructive methods are:

· Establish rules with children in the classroom and on the playground in the beginning of each new school year.

· Teaching staff gives verbal instructions that are short, specific and clear.

· Praise children for appropriate behavior.

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Components:

The Head Start/State Preschool Program has seven components or parts, each of which provides specific services to children and families.

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Education
Using the High Scope Curriculum, teachers help the children to:

· Plan their learning activities.
· Participate in various activity areas around the classroom, such as
painting, blocks, science areas, music, etc.
· Review what they have done during the day.

These activities are balanced to obtain the best growth in social, emotional, intellectual, and physical areas.

Outdoor play is structured so that the children learn to share the equipment and interact with each other and the adults present.

Every activity is carefully planned in order to enhance the child's learning.

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Health Services
Every child enrolled in the program must have proof of up to date immunizations. For three and four years old, this means that the child should have had:

· 3 doses of Polio vaccine
· 4 doses of DPT
· 1 dose of MMR

Every child in the program must have a physical exam (120 days prior to enrollment or 30 days following) and a dental exam. Nurses are available to help families find doctors who will take Medi-Cal.

The program participates in the CHDP program, which provides eligible children with free physical exams.

Other services provided by Health Services staff include:

· Weighing and measuring of children twice during the year
· Fluoride rinsing and toothbrushing for children
· Health education workshops for parents

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Mental Health
The activities of the Mental Health component are divided into:

Primary Prevention
· providing children with coping skills in various settings.
· giving children help in dealing with the demands of adults.
· teaching children to be sensitive to environmental clues so that they may modify their behavior accordingly.

Secondary Prevention
· early identification of the concerns of children, staff and parents.
· referrals to community resources for diagnosis and treatment
· workshops for parents in areas of self-esteem, discipline, etc.
· mobilizing community resources which serve children with problems that prevent them from coping with their environment.

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Nutrition
For the children to gain maximum benefits form the program, they must bring healthy bodies and minds, sustained by nutritious food, to the learning process.

All children receive a nutritious, free lunch each day, plus either breakfast (morning classes and full day classes) or a snack (afternoon classes and full day classes). Children are encouraged to try new foods. Meal times are used as part of the learning process, with adults and children discussing color, texture and food groups. Special arrangements can be made for physician certified dietary restrictions.

Workshops on the following topics are available for staff and parents.
· maternal and child nutrition
· growth and development
· menu planning
· food economics, selection and preparation
· food assistance programs

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Social Services.
The Social Services Specialists gather information on the needs of families and connect families with resources in the community to meet these needs.

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Eligibility Services
The Eligibility Worker is responsible for recruiting and enrolling eligible children and families for the program. The five main requirements are:

· AGE: The child must be between 3 and 4.9 years of age.
· INCOME: The family's gross income must fall within the established guidelines.
· TARGET AREA: The family must live within the area served by the center.
· SPECIAL NEEDS: Children with diagnosed disabilities are given priority for enrollment.

· Homeless families are considered as a priority for enrollment.

In addition to enrolling children, Eligibility Workers help parents to assess the needs of their families.

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Disablities
Federal law requires that at least 10% of the children enrolled must be professionally diagnosed with a disability, such as hearing, vision or speech impairment, or serious health or emotional problems. The program makes sure that all children with disabilities receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled.

Parents are involved in the planning and implementation of services for their children. Efforts are made by staff to coordinate the services offered to the children by resource agencies and the public schools. Meetings are held with the public schools, program staff and parents before the end of the program year to enable a smooth transition for the child into kindergarten.

Workshops are provided for staff and parents on topics such as:
· identification of special needs of children
· behavior management
· working with speech, language or hearing impaired children.

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Parent Involvementt
Parents are the child's first and primary educator.

Head Start/State Preschool encourages parents to participate at all levels of the program.

There are many ways in which parents may participate:

· IN THE CLASS ROOM:
reading stories, supervising children on the playground, singing, cooking activities, helping in small groups.

· IN THE CENTER:
repairing equipment, typing, kitchen duties, attending parent workshops provided by the program.

· IN THE HOME:
cutting shapes, car pooling, contacting other parents, typing.

· AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER:
parents can help plan activities and make decisions about the program.


Every level of participation is important, because it allows staff and parents to work together for the good of the children. As a result, parents learn new skills and activities that can be used at home with the child and the rest of the family.

Community volunteers and former parents are also encouraged to participate in the program.

[ Link to What is Head Start] [ Link to Mission ] [ Link to Parent Information ] [ Link to Application Information ]

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