Head Start / Early Head Start of Fayette County
Comprehensive child
development programs
Promoting healthy prenatal outcomes for
pregnant women, enhance the
development of very young children, and
healthy family relationships.
Who We Are
Head Start and Early Head Start of Fayette County are federal and state funded, comprehensive child development programs designed to serve families with children from birth to age five, including children with verified disabilities and pregnant women that meet financial guidelines at the poverty level, or are determined to be homeless under the McKinney Vinto Act, or have children with verified disabilities and who have other identified “risk” factors.
Ericka Thomas
Director of Head Start / Early Head Start Fayette County
Lori Bowers
Assistant Director of Head Start / Early Head Start Fayette County
Our goal
We at Head Start do our utmost to promote school readiness and enhance social and cognitive development through the provision of health, educational, nutritional, social, and other necessary services with the objective that the families and their children will be healthy, confident, and better prepared to succeed in life.
The Early Head Start program is committed to serving low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women. Our goal is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, enhance the development of very young children, and healthy family relationships.
Social Services
Child Development
Information & Services in
Health, Mental Wellness
and Education
Nutrition
Special Needs
How we Serve
In our Head Start program
Classroom Option
Single Session – 5 days per week for 6 hours per day
Breakfast, lunch and snack are provided to each child at no cost to the family.
Classroom Locations
- Connellsville – 220 South 1st Street Connellsville, 15425 – Three Classrooms
- Connellsville Township – 730 Rockridge Road Connellsville, 15425 – Two Classrooms
- Lemont Furnace – 112 Commonwealth Dr. Lemont Furnace, 15456 – Five Classrooms
- Masontown – 145 River Avenue Masontown, 15461 – Two Classrooms
- Menallen – 7527 National Pike E. Uniontown, 15401 – One Classroom
- Mt. Vernon – 100 S. Mt. Vernon Ave Uniontown, 15401 – Four Classrooms
- Redstone – 212 Republic Road Republic, 15475 – Four Classrooms
- Route 857 -1612 Georges-Fairchance Road Smithfield, 15478 – Two Classrooms
Home-Based Option
The home-based instructor performs home visits weekly for 1.5 hours, completing 48 weeks per program year, community outings and 4 hours of socializations. The goal is to create an environment where the entire family can interact together to support the child’s educational goals, as well as the family’s goals.
In our Early Head Start program
Home-Based Option
The Family Resource Specialist (FRS) performs home visits weekly for 1.5 hours, completing 48 weeks per program year to create an environment where the entire family can interact together while supporting the child and family’s goals established with the parent by the FRS, community outings and 2 hours of socializations.
Child-Care Option
Our Early Head Start program receives funds from the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, Inc. (COTRAIC) to partner with child care centers in the community to provide center-based Early Head Start classroom services. The children are enrolled in the childcare center and receives full day/full year services and Early Head Start staff ensures that children are receiving quality care at no cost to the family.
Our current Child Care Partners are
- Little Blessings
- Playland
- ABC School House
- Little Legends Daycare
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Click here for more information.
Who We Serve
Head Start serves families with preschool age children 3 to 5 years.
Early Head Start Home-Based serves families of pregnant women, infants, and toddlers under 3 years of age.
Children in childcare can also receive Head Start/Early Head Start services.
Early Head Start Child Care Option serves infants and toddlers 6 weeks to 3 years of age.
Children with disabilities or other special needs are also provided services in collaboration with the local Early Intervention provider or other programs through an IEP, IFSP, or 504 plan.
What We Provide
- Highly qualified teachers and staff.
- A program tailored to each child’s individual needs based upon parent and staff input.
- Books and language tools to develop early reading skills.
- Opportunities and environments to develop and support strong self-image.
- Positive environment, positive behavioral changes, and social and emotional interactions.
- Good, nutritional food choices and an example of healthy eating and living.
- Instruction for parents on nutrition, health, child development, and mental health.
- Opportunities for parents and children to have social interaction with others.
- Tools for parents to learn to become their children’s first teacher.
- A school readiness plan that provides information that is needed to ensure children are ready for school, their families are ready to support their children’s learning, and schools are ready for children.