Overview
In FY 1995, the Early Head Start program was established to serve children from birth to three years of age in recognition of the mounting evidence that the earliest years matter a great deal to children's growth and development. Baldwin Park USD was funded for Early Head Start as part of the third wave of expansion in 1999.
Beliefs
At Early Head Start, we believe…
- Parents want what is best for their children and are always willing to learn ways of deepening their connection with their child.
- Every parent and child has individual strengths that are expressed in every-day life.
- The parent and child relationship thrives when there are opportunities for them to be together, play and pay attention to each other.
- When parents are provided with an opportunity to focus on their children without other distractions, the parent and child bond grows, parents are happier with themselves as parents and children are more alert and expressive.
- Parents’ love of their children and their intelligence fosters a change in their habits of interaction when they experience their children’s happiness and curiosity.
Services
At Early Head Start…
- We continually work to develop ongoing, trusting and supportive relationships with the parents and children.
- Group socializations opportunities twice a month.
- We provide a safe, stimulating and interactive environment in the schools for group parent and child interactions.
- Our home visits constantly reinforce the parent and child bond, healthy parenting practices and children’s physical, cognitive and social development.
- We extend an overall five-year commitment to the families. The first three years, the families have an opportunity to participate in a home-based program, and the next two years, the families participate in a center-based program.
- We constantly advocate with our parents in areas like health, education, mental health, nutrition, support for students with special needs, and social serivces.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Income eligibility
- Baldwin Park School District Boundaries
- Special needs or other special circumstances
- Child age requirement (newborn to three)
