Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Head Start - Indigenous Families

Services and programming that prepare low-income preschool children (ages 3 - 5) and their family's transition to public school kindergarten and support child development, parenting skills and self-sufficiency

Description

Head Start helps young children living in low-income families prepare to succeed in life and school through local programs. Head Start programs promote children's development through services that support early learning, health, and family well-being.

The program helps with early learning, health, nutrition and social services while being responsive to ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.

Services may vary in each local community.

Services may include:

• Center based classroom or Family Child Care experiences for children and their families
• Coordination with public schools and Early Childhood Special Education (Part B 619, ECSE)
• Socialization experiences
• Leadership, advocacy, and training supports for families

The goal is to deliver services to children and families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being while engaging parents as partners every step of the way.

Local Head Start services are delivered by public and private nonprofit and for-profit agencies.

Additional Information

Head Start is held at six sites and the bus runs up to 140 miles round trip. Classes are open 9 months a year.

Features

• Payment
  • Free / no cost to eligible clients

• Specialization
  • Native American Community
  • People with low income

Eligibility

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines are used to determine income eligibility for participation in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

• Children age 3 - 5 who are from families with incomes below the poverty guidelines
• Children from homeless families, and families receiving public assistance such as TANF or SSI are also eligible
• Foster children are eligible regardless of their foster family's income

Local programs may determine additional selection criteria to be responsive to community needs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Priority is given to families living within the designated service area of the Leech Lake Reservation.

Fee

Free to eligible families