Early Childhood Programs
The Early Childhood Programs include Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Development At-Risk funding. Programs operate in centers in all seven counties, with about half running full day, year-round services to meet the needs of the working poor. Head Start, a mainstay of the agency, has been in operation since the creation of NEICAC in July of 1965. Sixteen centers serve their communities by providing nutritious breakfasts and lunches, health screenings; age appropriate classroom activities, social services and parent involvement opportunities to each of 287 enrolled children and their families. Combined with State of Iowa Wrap-Around Grants, several classrooms provide extended daily hours, 6 AM to 6 PM, to assist these families with working members or those needing to fulfill schooling and training obligations.
Iowa Child Development at-risk grants fund additional classrooms at four locations, providing services modeled after the Head Start program. Head Start and Child Development classrooms combined served 328 children and their families in 1998.
Related Links:
U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
Web
Page for kids across the government
