Merced County Head Start

The Head Start Program provides a comprehensive child development program to children 0-5 years old from income eligible families and children with exceptional needs to prepare them intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically for school and life. Head Start serves preschool aged children and their families. Early Head Start serves infants, toddlers, and a limited number of pregnant women. Our Centers

Every child is provided with the highest quality child development program. Every enrolled child also receives the following benefits and services

• Assistance obtaining a physical examination and necessary follow-up
• Assistance obtaining a dental examination and necessary treatment
• Hearing and vision screening and follow-up
• Developmental skills screening and individualized educational program
• Supplemental daily nutrition

With health equity at the center, Head Start provides services that promote health, wellness, and safety for children and families. Through health promotion, prevention, early identification, and intervention activities, Head Start assists children and families in developing a foundation for lifelong health and wellness.

• Health promotion helps to improve overall health and health outcomes. 
• Prevention reduces the likelihood of getting sick or injured. 
• Early identification detects conditions that may negatively affect healthy development.
• Intervention is the delivery of services to treat health conditions that will improve health and learning outcomes.

Head Start implements a variety of strategies that focus on preventive health care, physical and oral health, immunizations, injury prevention, and ongoing care and treatment to support children’s healthy growth, development, and early learning success. School readiness begins with health.

Family engagement is a collaborative and strengths-based process through which early childhood professionals, families, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. It is a shared responsibility of families and staff at all levels that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. Family engagement focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive relationship-building with key family members in a child’s life. It requires making a commitment to creating and sustaining an ongoing partnership that supports family well-being. It also honors and supports the parent-child relationships that are central to a child’s healthy development, school readiness, and well-being. The Family Services staff work with families to build, connect and encourage families on such goals as parents’ educational advancement, economic mobility, healthy living and other aspects of family well-being.

The collaboration between early childhood staff, families, and community agencies builds positive relationships. These relationships support parents’ progress toward their goals for themselves and their children. Community partners provide culturally and linguistically responsive services and helpful resources. 

Another important part of the program is parent education. A wide variety of training and educational opportunities are available for parents. Training topics are provided to meet the needs of families and include such subjects as nutrition, first aid, parenting and self-sufficiency skills.

Children with disabilities and other unique needs receive a full range of Head Start services in addition to special education through partial and full inclusion models in the most natural setting.

All children are welcome and fully included into all aspects of the Head Start program’s range of services and supports. The program has strong collaborative relationships with special education services within the county and work collaboratively to support access and participation to children of all abilities.

Each year more than 1,157 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are enrolled in one of four service options: part-day preschool (3.5 hours, school day preschool (6.5 hours), full-day programs (10 hours), family child care and home-based services and in partnerships with childcare centers. Up to ten enrollment spaces are available to pregnant women.

The Head Start program recognizes the importance of healthy mental wellness and through a contract with a local mental health agency, expert counseling and support is available to all children and families/caregivers within the program. Healthy social emotional development is a priority of the program with the implementation of social skills instruction and practice, and an overall positive approach to building confident and socially competent children ready to learn! 

The Resource guide is updated annually. Updates can be submitted here

The English Resource guide for 23/24 is available here. This is a printable version only.

The Spanish Resource guide for 23/24 is available here. This is a printable version only.

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS: To print as a booklet - print double sided, flip on short edge