Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County, a program of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. (PIC), will be taking applications throughout Fayette County for the 2017-2018 program year, beginning in March. A Community Day will be held on March 10, 2017, for those interested to meet teachers, tour the classrooms, ask questions, and fill out an application. Information on times and locations is provided on the program’s Facebook page.
Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County provides comprehensive early childhood education services to low-income families with children from birth to age five and pregnant women, including inclusive services to children with disabilities and other special needs.
The Early Head Start program provides home-based services to pregnant women and children up to three years of age and their families at no cost to the parent.
The Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program provides center-based services that support high-quality care to low-income families with infants and toddlers enrolled in participating child care centers, also at no cost to the parent.
The Head Start program, which is also at no cost to the parent, prepares preschoolers to make the transition into kindergarten. Children learn to get along well with other children; explore and learn through play; and learn about numbers, letters, words, and many other things.
Head Start services are offered through both classroom- and home-based options. Through home-based programming, instructors visit families in their homes to work on children’s learning goals. They also help parents find ways to meet family needs through community resources and services.
Through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), children are served healthy and nutritious meals and snacks while attending Head Start classrooms and home-based socials. Parents may participate in program planning and decision-making and volunteer in the classroom to learn more about how to help children learn and develop.
Research has consistently shown that children who enter school ready to learn succeed academically later in life. To sign your child up for Head Start or Early Head Start, please call the PIC office at 724-430-4818 or visit the website at www.privateindustrycouncil.com.