Nevada Head Start Association Home Page
Nevada Head Start programs are located in three unique and distinct geographic areas throughout the state: urban, rural, and frontier communities, ranging in population from 80 to over 1,000,000 people and encompassing 110,540 square miles. ten of Nevada's seventeen counties are served by head start. approximately 13% of Nevada's eligible children are currently being served, leaving approximately 87% of eligible children in need of service.
Head Start programs currently operating in Nevada include:
- Acelero Learning Clark County head Start, Laura Harrison, Director
- CSA Head Start, Leanna Dyer, Director
- Head Start of Northeastern Nevada, Brenna Malone, Director
- Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, Gloria Smith, Director
- Little People’s Head Start, Mary Eldridge, Director
- Reno Sparks Indian Colony Head Start, Christi Jacobus, Director
- UNR Early Head Start, Jane Hogue, Project Coordinator
- Washoe Tribe Head Start, Gil Gonzales, Director
Nevada has five regional grantees and three tribal grantees. Four of the regional grantees operate both Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Regional and Tribal Head Start grantees serve qualifying children three to five years of age. Early Head Start offers services for children infant to three years of age and pregnant mothers. Tribal Head Start primarily serves Native Americans living on reservations or colonies throughout Nevada and northern California.
While all Head Start programs must follow federal guidelines, each Head Start tailors its services to meet the needs of its particular children and families, based on input from community needs assessments. In Nevada, Head Start programs partner with public and private agencies to provide comprehensive services to their children and families. For example, Early Head Start staff works with pregnant women to ensure they have prenatal care and dental care. There is also a prenatal curriculum which focuses on attachment, bonding and childbirth education.
All Head Start programs (Head Start, Early Head Start and Tribal Head Start) assess the entire family system to determine the family strengths and needs and develop a plan for improvements. Head Start staff and families work together to ensure the family can meet basic needs, can further their work and /or educational goals, develop skills in parenting, and meet any other goals they may have. Head Start, the families and other agencies work in concert to meet the multiple goals and needs that families may have.
Traditionally, Head Start programs have been offered on a part time basis nine months out of the year. Welfare reform and other factors have caused some Head Start programs to expand service hours to meet the needs of working families. Still, in Nevada, most Head Start programs are offered on a part time basis, with the exception of Early Head Start, which is offered on a full time basis throughout the entire year.
Nevada 2008 Program Year Data:
3,446 children received services in regional and tribal Head Start Programs.
13% of enrollment were children with special needs.
46% (1804) of Nevada's Head Start children spoke a language other than English in the home.
More than 52% of families served were two parent families.
57% of parents had not graduated from high school.
3% of families served were homeless at some point during the year.
86% of families participated in goal setting.
15% of staff were current or former Head Start parents.
51% of Head Start teachers had a higher education degree in Early Childhood.
13% of Nevada's eligible children are currently being served, leaving about 87% in need of services.
Last Updated: February 25, 2010
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