Head Start/Early Head Start
Addressing Needs from Birth-Age 5
- Annual Report [pdf]
- Parent Handbook [pdf]
The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program serves more than 860 families and children from birth through age five, including children with special needs, throughout St. Clair County. The program also provides services to expectant mothers. The program is housed in 9 early childhood centers, eight managed directly by SIUE staff and two collaboration sites. The program includes a rigorous school readiness program and offers comprehensive services to children and families in the areas of instructional early learning, health, and family well-being to ensure that children are ready to learn.
All SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start centers have received recognition by ExceleRate Illinois by going beyond quality standards in three areas: learning environment and teaching quality; administrative standards; and training & education. ExceleRate Illinois is a statewide quality recognition and improvement system designed to make continuous quality improvement an everyday priority among early learning providers. The program establishes standards for helping infants, toddlers and preschool age children develop intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. It provides a framework for early learning professionals to identify opportunities for improvement, increase their skills and take steps to make positive changes. Other notable program recognitions include several Head Start/Early Head Start parents, teachers, and a home visitor who have received Parent of the Year and Teacher of the Year state and regional awards in recent years.
The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program uses the Teaching Strategies GOLD © online assessment tool to assess child outcomes. The assessment model used in GOLD® follows widely held expectations for children birth through third grade and enables a whole-child approach to assessment. A full 80 percent of SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start children have shown mastery in five out of six standards across all age groups based on the nationally recognized assessment tool.
