Head Start Program

The Community House's Head Start program provides 160 preschool children from disadvantaged families with the foundation they need to go on to successful experiences in school and life.
Children are engaged in arts and crafts, music, individual and group play, outdoor play, field trips and literacy activities designed to promote physical, mental, social and emotional development. Routine health and cognitive screenings chart developmental growth and identify areas for extra support and assistance. Families receive assistance with issues affecting their child's well-being and readiness for school, and are supported in their efforts to become better nurturers and educators of their children.

Regular parenting skills classes offer family members assistance and a peer network, and special events like "Carnival Night" and "Good Guys" provide additional opportunities for positive interaction. Parents also have an active voice in program operations through the Head Start Policy Council which makes important decisions about everything from budgets to staff hiring.

Head Start offers full-day, full-year services for the children of working families on a sliding scale fee basis; child care assistance is accepted. Part-day, school-year services are also available; there is no charge for these classes. Services are housed at our 227 Elm Street, West Haven facility.

Enrollment is open to families who:

• Reside in West Haven;
• Have a child or children who will be 3 or 4 years old by January 1 of the coming year;
• Meet federal income eligibility guidelines;
• Or have children with special needs.

The Head Start program is accredited by the prestigious National Association for the Education of Young People, and licensed by the State of Connecticut.