Episcopal Children's Services

Head Start/Early Head Start is a free program for children of families with low incomes, providing comprehensive early learning in both center-based and home-based settings. This successful program helps ensure children’s readiness for school and increases parental knowledge in children’s growth and development. Episcopal Children’s Services’ Head Start program provides full-day, center-based early learning to children ages 3-5 years, and the Early Head Start program provides full-day, full-year, center-based and home-based early learning to pregnant women and children birth to 3 years of age. The program also provides additional family supports, such as literacy workshops, parenting skills training, and targeted attention on meeting specialized needs in regards to children with disabilities, behavioral challenges, and health concerns. ECS provides Early Head Start services to 804 pregnant women, infants, and toddlers in both home-based and center-based settings and Head Start services to 1,279 3- and 4-year olds in center-based settings across Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Lake, Levy, Marion, and Nassau Counties.

The Head Start/Early Head Start program provides inclusive services in the areas of health, mental health, nutrition, disabilities, and parent and community engagement, in addition to early childhood education as part of a comprehensive approach to school readiness. All children are screened for developmental progress, health, dental, vision, and hearing. Head Start offers a nutrition assessment and provides daily nutritious snacks and meals. Any identified concerns are referred to the appropriate professional for treatment. The Head Start/Early Head Start staff understand that to support the child, they must support the whole family, and parent involvement in the classroom and the program is highly encouraged. Parents are their children’s first teachers, and the staff work with the parents to understand and care for the children enrolled in our program.

Visit the website listed below for additional information and a location nearest you.