Services

• Family and Community Partnership – Management Plan–The plan will outline the services proposed for developing Family and Community partnerships. The processes of Collaboration Partnerships–building with families to establish “Family Partnership Agreements” will include intake interview, home visits, group meetings and follow up with families to continually evaluate the progress as well as the process.Diversity, cultural and ethnic differences among families will be noted. This notation will provide a base for “Resource” identification and utilization. Responsiveness to each family’s goals, unique strengths, abilities and support services will remain the “primary” base for building the “Family Partnership Agreement”. This Service Unit will integrate the responsibilities of the parents and staff. Staff will take into account and build upon pre-existing family partnerships that have been developed between other community agencies and the family, in order to prevent duplication.The staff of the unit will coordinate with the other Agencies to the extent possible to ensure that families are provided additional support through Head Start for achievement of pre-existing goals at the time of enrollment.The Service Unit will be directly responsible for the identification of needed resources and contact negotiation, to ensure “goal agreement” for “Family Partnership” activities. It will be the responsibility of the unit to pursue activities for parent training programs, apprenticeships for job acquisition and placement of Head Start parents, literacy-education, forging community partnerships with communities, schools and the private sector will be some of the focuses of the unit.Family and Community Partnership Staff will work in assigned areas and be readily available to parents to assist in self-sufficiency endeavors, partnership negotiations and ensure smooth transitions into the program, prepare families for their transition out of the program into another. All activities of the staff assigned to the Service Unit will focus on Parent Partnerships, Self-sufficiency and methods and techniques of transitioning from Welfare.The Service Unit will establish an outcome based accountability system that documents the level of effort toward establishing Family and community Partnerships.The Service Unit’s tasks will be clearly defined in the “Specific Approach” section of the plan and the Procedures give a more detailed look at the way task may be accomplished.

• Education – Douglas Cherokee Head Start staff form partnerships with Head Start families and community agencies to provide educational experiences that support each individual child’s growth and development, build upon the bonds of the family, and support each parent in their role as the child’s primary educator. Foundational experiences that enhance self-esteem and build confidence are woven into all aspects of the curriculum. Educational experiences provided in each developmental domain aim to help each child reach their full potential and establish a foundation for future learning and success.Early Childhood–Douglas Cherokee Head Start’s philosophy of early child education stems from a belief that young children are active hands-on learners and benefit from a curriculum that allows them to freely explore their environment, make independent choices, and participate in meaningful experiences in a play-based atmosphere. The program’s approach to curriculum development is also based on the premise that each child grows and develops at different rates making it necessary to be knowledgeable of developmental stages and developmentally appropriate practices.

 

• Disibility Services – The Douglas Cherokee Head Start Disability Service Area’s focus is to continue to increase the involvement of Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) in the Head Start Program as a placement for children with disabilities. In collaboration with LEA’s, services are provided at Head Start sites and the family is included in all aspects of planning for the child with the disability. The early years are the most rapidly developing years in a person’s life and as such many milestones can be accomplished by including a child with a disability with their typically developing peers. This provides opportunity for the child and family to function in “normal” relationships with success. As a child grows, separation is still used for many systems of education. Our program wants the family to witness how their child can progress with the challenges of typical children achieved by their child with a disability.Mental Health–Douglas Cherokee Head Start realizes that mental well being is an important part of healthy development for children, families & staff. By working collaboratively with children, families, staff and community professionals, a wealth of mental health information, training, and follow-up is provided through the program.

 

• Child Health & Development – Douglas Cherokee Head Start staff form partnerships with Head Start parents and community agencies in order to provide comprehensive health services which meet individual needs. The comprehensive services include a broad range of medical, dental, mental health and nutrition services to assist the child’s physical, emotional cognitive and social development (age appropriate growth and development).Douglas Cherokee Head Start, through a variety of methods, strives to provide each child’s family with the necessary skills and insight to link the family to an on-going health care system.By empowering families to seek and secure medical homes, individual families can then implement preventive health care plans while involved in Head Start as well as after Head Start. Parents are encouraged to ensure their child’s continuing health care.Health, dental, mental health, nutrition, and safety are all integrated into the educational process. Child Health & Safety – Maximum health and safety of the children, staff, volunteers and families is of the utmost importance to the Douglas Cherokee Head Start Program. Healthy physical development is supported by encouraging practices that prevent illness or injury.Strict Health & Safety Policies and Procedures are implemented by the program, posted in classrooms as needed and maintained at all sites. Staff are trained regularly and updated on any needed changes or additions to the Policies and Procedures. Child Nutrition – Nutrition/meal time is used as an integral part of the education process. Children receive balanced meals each day according to USDA/CACFP regulations. A variety of new foods will be introduced using a variety of methods. Classroom food activities and food related field trips are completed on a regular basis.Head Start menus are provided for all parents and used as part of nutrition training. Numerous training methods are used to train parents on a vast number of nutrition topics. Child wellness and development are promoted by providing nutrition services that supplement and complement those in the home and community.Meal time will be used to contribute to the overall development and socialization of each child. Staff and parents receive nutrition training that help them understand the relationship of nutrition to healthy child growth and development. It is the Head Start Programs intent that parents will use the nutrition information received to develop sound food habits even after leaving the Head Start Program.