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Head Start program began in
Cusseta-Chattahoochee County in January 2004 and
has more than 30 students enrolled and
progressing well. The Georgia Head Start State
Collaboration Project grant is funded to the
Georgia Office of School Readiness by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. This
federal grant is for $750,000 for a five-year
period, from 1997-2002. The Head Start State
Collaboration Project grant establishes a
state-level office for Head Start programs in
Georgia, for the purpose of building
collaborative partnerships between
federally-funded Head Start programs and
state-funded early childhood programs to improve
the quality of services to low-income children
and their families in Georgia. |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS: |
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Who can
participate?
Head Start is a national program that provides
comprehensive developmental services for
low-income preschool children and their
families. Currently funded at approximately $4.3
billion nationally, Head Start serves over
750,000 children and their families each year.
In Georgia, Head Start programs serve nearly
20,000 three, four and five-year-old children in 33
different programs covering 157 of Georgia’s 159
counties. The program in Georgia is designed to
address developmental goals for children;
employment and self-sufficiency goals for
adults, and support for parents in their work
and in their roles as parents.What are the responsibilities of the Office of
School Readiness?
The Office of School Readiness utilizes the Head
Start grant to coordinate federal initiatives
for children and families with Pre-K programs
and other state-funded child and family programs
across the state. These coordinated efforts are
intended to assist in building seamless,
comprehensive early childhood systems and access
to services and support for all low-income
children. OSR encourages statewide collaboration
between Head Start and other appropriate
programs, services and initiatives through the
efforts of the State Head Start Collaboration
Project. OSR also utilizes the Head Start grant
to facilitate the involvement of Head Start
in the development of state policies and
initiatives affecting the Head Start target
population and other low-income families
What are the goals of the Georgia Head Start
Collaboration Office?
Although Head Start is a federal-to-local
program, head Start recognizes the importance of
states in the development of policies,
initiatives and decisions that affect low-income
children and their families. The Georgia Head
Start State Collaboration Project grant creates
a visible presence at the state level that can
assist in the development of significant
multi-agency and public-private partnerships
between Head Start and state agencies and
organizations.The Georgia Head Start-State Collaboration
Office (GHSSCO) has identified three broad goals
that it will seek to accomplish during the next
five years (1997-2002): 1. to assist all
programs and organizations in the state In
building early childhood systems and access to
comprehensive services and support for all
low-income children and their families; 2. to
encourage broad collaboration between Head Start
and other appropriate programs, services and
initiatives and augment Head Start’s capacity to
be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of
children and their families; and 3. to
facilitate the involvement of Head Start in
State policies, plans, processes and decisions
affecting the Head Start target population and
other low-income families. |
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GEORGIA HEAD START FACTS AND FIGURES: |
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In Georgia Head Start programs during the 2000-2001 school year:
- A total of 23,237 children were served by Head Start.
- 21,123 children received complete medical examinations.
- 4,571 children received comprehensive follow-up medical treatment.
- 20,074 children had all immunizations up-to-date and appropriate for their age.
- 21,246 children received complete dental examinations.
- 5,041 children received comprehensive follow-up dental treatment.
- 21, 321 families were identified as needing social services.
Of those families identified as needing social services:
- 3,950 families received crisis assistance.
- 3,270 families received education, literacy or employment training.
- 2,483 children were professionally diagnosed as disabled.
Of those children with disabilities,
99% received services specific to their
disability.
- 53,541 persons from Georgia communities volunteered in Head Start.
- 14,533 parents of preschool children volunteered in Head Start.
- 27 Head Start programs provided services to homeless children and their families.
- 1,110 former Head Start parents were employed by local Head Start.
- 21,321 families were enrolled in Head Start.
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RELATED LINKS: |
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Georgia Head Start Association Web Page
Early Head Start National Resource Center
National Head Start Association
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