Head Start of Washington County

Head Start and early Head Start programs, serve children from birth to age five. These programs specialize in a full family approach to early childhood education with an emphasis on school readiness. Our program serves around 400 children and their families each year. Head Start is a multi-generational program, serving low income or otherwise at-risk children, pregnant women, and families from a diverse variety of cultures and backgrounds. Head Start agencies are mandated to reduce the impact of risk factors by providing healthy child development services to include education, family supports, health, nutrition and referrals to community services. Strengthening families as the primary nurturers of their children is a hallmark objective of the Head Start program. Performance standards require a high standard of care and overall culture of continuous quality improvement. Classroom teachers visit families in their homes twice per school year. Every family is also assigned a family advocate to help them identify and reach goals related to providing a safe and nurturing home environment. Families are linked to any community resources that may be necessary to make this possible. Research has shown that children make significant increases in their school readiness scores with increased time in a structured classroom setting. It is ultimately the goal of Head Start to provide longer class hours and more learning time for children, pending the availability of funds and space to do so. To continue to receive our funding, the agency is required to raise a 25% match to all federal dollars received. At our current funding level, the 25% equates to 1,503,032 through individual, company and/or foundation donations. Although the covid-19 pandemic halted in person volunteering for several years, our agency is once again preparing to welcome these valued individuals into our centers. Contributions of any size are welcome and allow us to reach our required match and enable us to request additional funds in the future we humbly ask for your help to continue serving the neediest children and families in our community. Due to the availability of federal covid-19 response funding, our program was again able to implement a safe in-person summer program, focusing on preparing children for kindergarten.

Maryland Head Start and early Head Start supplemental grant to enhance the school readiness of hs and ehs children by providing expanded and improved services to eligible children birth to age 5 through the expansion of hours and days of services for children to address the full day, year-round needs of parents who are working, attending an educational program or attending job training.

Usda child care food program - providing breakfast, lunch, and snacks for children ages birth to age 5. During this program year 109,226 meals were served to enrolled children. The return of in-person services led to an increase in meals served compared to the previous fiscal year.

Maryland state department of education pre-k expansion grant to expand free access to public prekindergarten for three and four-year-olds from families with household incomes up to 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Gaming commission grant to partner with achieving true self to provide social groups to our most vulnerable children and produce learning videos for families and community partners to view. Nora roberts foundation grant to create a mindful gardening program at the martin luther king location that promotes healthy eating habits, improved motor skills and social emotional literacy and stress reduction for young children.