About Early Childhood Education - Head Start

Head Start/Early Head Start is a comprehensive early childhood development program designed to provide education, health and social services to low income children, ages 0-5 and their families. Maricopa County Head Start emphasizes on pre-reading, language, math and other cognitive skills, while continuing to promote children's health, social and emotional competence as part of school readiness. Services to children are provided by qualified and well-trained teachers in a classroom setting with a low student-teacher ratio. The low ratio allows us to make a significant and meaningful impact on the educational and social development of the children that we serve. Head Start/Early Head Start provides two program options: center-based services and home-based services. Center-based services are provided in a classroom setting four or five days a week for a minimum of 3½ hours, and home-based services are provided in the family's home. As part of home-based services, Head Start home visitors meet with families once weekly for 1½ hours, and families attend bi-monthly socialization events to participate in parent training and to positively interact with other parents and their children. Maricopa County Head Start serves communities in: Chandler, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Mesa, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, and Tempe