Head Start                                                                                                                         <--Back

Head Start is a free program for three and four-year old children of Waterford School District residents whose family income is at or below the poverty level. Children attend class four mornings or afternoons a week. 

Education/Disabilities Component

• WSD provides ten sections of preschool classes for 3 & 4 yr. olds whose families meet Head Start qualifications for enrollment.

• 170 children are enrolled. Eighty–seven percent of them use Waterford School District bus transportation.

• Teachers all have at least a four year degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, etc. Assistants have a two year degree or CDA credential.

• The Head Start program uses the High/Scope curriculum. Instruction occurs in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one.

• Children are assessed using the Child Observation Record (COR) and Michigan Literacy Proficiency Profile (MLPP).

• Ten percent of the Head Start slots are reserved for children with disabilities.

·     Parent Involvement/Family Services Component

• Parents and family members actively participate by seeking out the program, providing the required documentation for enrollment, and participating in the mandatory orientation and training.

• Parents and families participate in two home visits a year and attend two parent/teacher conferences a year.

• Parents attend Parent Committee meetings which are scheduled just prior to PTA meetings. Parents serve on the WSD Head Start Policy Committee and attend the county Head Start Policy council.

• Parents take their children on planned field trips to such sites as the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the Detroit zoo. They also bring their children to in-house activities and field trips such as Home Depot Birdhouse building and Fire Safety.

• Family needs are assessed three times during the school year. Staff refer families to community resources for such things as food, clothing, housing, counseling, high school completion, and employment.

• There is a focus on increasing male involvement in school activities. Dads, uncles, friends, and grandpas attended the Donuts with Dads this fall. Over forty families participated. Dads observed teachers using reading strategies with children and then used those same strategies with their own children in a shared reading experience.

Health and Nutrition Component

• Children must have a physical which includes a screening for lead.

• Children must have a dental exam.

• The Head Start nurse measures each child’s height and weight two times a year.

• Vision and hearing screenings occur early in the school year for all Head Start children.

• Nutrition counseling is available for parents.

• The nutritionist visits the classrooms to train the children about healthy eating.

• Nutrition training is available for parents.  Project Frontline made the newspaper in November.

• Staff assist families in locating a “medical home” so that medical care is consistent.

• Immunizations are recorded and tracked in MCIRS.

 Free Federally Funded Preschool Program

• Families must meet Federal Guidelines for low income to qualify, or children with a certified disability may also qualify.

• Three and four year old children whose birthdays fall before December 1st, are accepted into the program.

• Transportation is available.

• Head Start is sponsored by the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency and operate through Waterford School District.

 Registration Requirements

Proof of income (W-2 or 1040 IRS form, FIA statement), child’s birth certificate, and health insurance, copy of child’s shot record, and proof of Waterford residency are required to register.