York County Community Action - Maine

York County
Head Start & Early Head Start

PUBLIC REPORT 2010-2011

The mission statement of York County Head Start states that “York County Community Action Head Start partners with families of young children helping them to achieve their self-identified family goals, with a focus on their children’s health, education, and well-being.”

It meshes with the mission statement of York County Community Action Corporation, the umbrella agency for York County Head Start that states the agency’s mission is to alleviate the effects of poverty, attack its underlying causes and to promote the dignity and self-sufficiency of the people of York County, Maine.”

York County Head Start operates 1 Early Head Start and 16 preschool programs.  Early Head Start enrolls 42 infants, toddlers (0-3) and pregnant women.  Preschool Head Start enrolls 255 children ages 3-5.  Early Head Start is a home based program, based in Biddeford that offers weekly home visits and socializations two times a month.  Preschool Head Start’s 16 classrooms are in 9 locations that offer programming in two different options; center base and home based. The two options offer different mixes of home visits and center days.

The Preschool Head Start Programs are located and numbered as follows:  Sanford – 5 classrooms, Kittery-1, North Berwick-1, Lebabnon-1, Lyman-1, Biddeford- 4, 1, Old Orchard Beach-1, Waterboro-1 and Northern York County-1.  Early Head Start Discovery takes place in Biddeford. Days take place in Biddeford.      

Children enrolled in preschool Head Start benefit from the following:

• Fun educational activities in the center or at home
• Nutritious Meals & Snacks
• Free Health & Dental Services
• A chance to learn, play, and grow with other children

Parent & families benefits:

• Plan and participate in children’s educational activities
• Referrals for needed services
• Training opportunities
• Attend and participate in monthly parent meetings

Who can participate in preschool Head Start?

• Families with a child or children 3 or 4 years old by October 15th
• Families who meet federal poverty guidelines
• Families who receive TANF, SSI, are homeless or have children in Foster Care

Other services offered:

• Full-day services in the Biddeford area (limited slots available)
• Vision, hearing, and child development screenings
• All sites serve children with special needs and identified disabilities
• Opportunities for parents to be involved in program governance and make program decisions

Who can participate in Early Head Start?

• Infants, toddlers and pregnant women who meet the poverty guidelines
• Families who receive TANF, SSI, are homeless or have children in Foster Care
• Priority is given to families living in the Biddeford, Saco or Old Orchard Beach areas

Services offered:

• All families receive weekly (90 minute home visits)
• Discovery Days  are offered a minimum of 2 times a month
• Prenatal education and planning for expectant parents
• Health and Nutrition Education, plus WIC and Dental Clinics
• Information about how your child grows and learns and how to plan activities to enhance your child’s growth

Parent benefits:

• Opportunities for your child to play with other children
• Opportunities for mothers, fathers, and caregivers to connect and share information with one another
• Family services that support your efforts to enrich family life and meet goals established by you
• Workshops and groups designed to enhance parenting skills
• On-going support to families of infants and toddlers with special needs
• Monthly parent meetings
• Opportunities for parents to be involved in program governance and make program decisions

What are Discovery Days?

• An opportunity for parents and their infants and toddlers to come together to a center designed especially for them
• A nutritious snack or meal is provided

York County Head Start Revenue Sources

Federal
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services-Preschool Head Start………… $2,192,579
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services-Early Head Start……………..… $   261,267
Federal dollars for both preschool and early, listed above, support operating and training expenses.
USDA-Preschool Head Start……..……………………………….............…..…….. $105,213

State of Maine
Department of Human Services-Head Start ……………………………….. $126,741
Department of Human Services-Early Head Start……………………...  $112,178
Misc.
United Way-Preschool Head Start…………………………………………...... $ 10,100

York County Head Start, both preschool and early, reported monthly to Washington DC that the programs were fully enrolled with wait lists.

York County Head Start programs average daily attendance for the 2010-2011 school year was 81%.  Average daily attendance program-wide is tallied in the central office and sent to the State of Maine funding source monthly.  Reasons for absences are documented on all children.

The most recent federal on site review conducted in 2010 results stated that the Office of Head Start acknowledged that preschool York County Head Start had three non-compliances findings.  A plan of action has been submitted to the Office of Head Start in Washington and the Regional Office in Boston.

The first finding identified a behavior management problem in one of the preschool classrooms.  The next was that “One Time Program Improvement Funding” was used in a different way than previously submitted. The program got verbal approval for the change from the Regional Office, but didn’t get approval in writing, as required. The last issue was that the Davis Bacon Act regulations were not adhered to in a construction project that exceeded $2,000. A “Program Improvement Plan” has been put in place to address all issues and ensure future compliance.  All other requirements were met by both Preschool Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.
 
Ninety-five percent of the preschool Head Start children are up to date on their physicals and ninety-two percent have completed dental exams.  The program uses two pediatric dentists who will accept our children into their client base.  One sees Early Head Start infants and toddlers in a dental clinic on site two times yearly.

All parents are invited to participate in all aspects of their child’s program.  They are offered opportunities to volunteer in the classroom, kitchen, on field trips, attend monthly parents meetings and make decisions about their child’s program by becoming a member of the Policy Council and/or Center Parent Committee.   In preschool Head Start, parents can become paid classroom substitutes after they complete the required number of volunteer hours in the classroom and attend substitute training.

The York County Community Board of Directors invites a parent from Preschool and Early Head Start to serve on their board.

York County Head Start’s Director of Children’s Services supervise a Fatherhood Program. One of the staff employed by this program works directly with Head Start dads.  His outreach to dads has greatly increased the number of hours dads volunteer in the classroom and work on special projects that relate to the program.

All children in the preschool program are assessed three times a year in the required eight domains of learning.  The domains include physical health and development, self-help skills, language development, literacy development, cognitive development, social emotional development, approaches to learning and creative arts development. All areas showed a 42% growth from the first baseline assessment.   Many of preschool classrooms are based in public schools or in building adjacent to the school.  This information is then shared with parents who can in turn share with the public schools when their child enters kindergarten.

The Disabilities Coordinator invited public school personnel to a Transition Breakfast.  The Breakfast is an opportunity for Head Start teachers and public school personnel to have a conversation about how to facilitate transition from Head Start to Kindergarten.
 
Further, staff invites kindergarten teachers to visit their classrooms so they can meet the incoming children. Schools also invite children to visit in yet another effort to help them feel comfortable with their new school.  Many of preschool Head Start facilities are housed in schools or on buildings adjacent to school.  Staff, children, families and teachers share resources during the Head Start program year.

Transition from Early Head Start to Preschool Head Start is facilitated by the family’s Home Visitor.  Written plans are put in place, in partnership with parents, six months prior to the child’s third birthday. Planning includes visits to preschool classrooms among other strategies to support children and families through the transition.