Head Start will be celebrating NAEYC’s 50th anniversary of the Week of the Young Child from April 10th to April 16th. The National Association for the Education of Young Children, or NAEYC, first established the Week of the Young Child® in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children’s success in school and later life.
“The Week of the Young Child® is a time to recognize that children’s opportunities are our responsibilities, and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that each and every child experiences the type of early environment—at home, at child care, at school, and in the community—that will promote their early learning.”- NAEYC
One of our foundational beliefs here at Head Start is that parents are their child(ren)’s first and most important teachers. We support parents in this crucial role by individualizing our services to meet each child and family’s unique needs. Head Start offers high quality early childhood education services in centers located across Allegany County and also supports parents and children right in their own homes in our home based option. We conduct developmental, social-emotional, and sensory screenings to identify any potential delays. We support parents in finding and maintaining a regular routine of preventative and primary health and dental care. Head Start helps families to identify their strengths and achieve their goals. Family support services include financial literacy assistance, parenting classes and support, nutrition and physical activity, budgeting, mental wellness and stress reduction. Head Start is not just for children. We are here to build and support stronger families.
Head Start is the premier early childhood education program in the nation provided at no cost to eligible families, and we show results! The program uses evidenced based curriculum, screening and assessment tools and meets New York State Early Learning Guidelines. 86.5% of children enrolled in ACCORD Early Head Start and Head Start are meeting or exceeding widely held expectations in every area of learning as reported by our Winter 2021 assessment results. Children and families that participate in Head Start enter Kindergarten ready for success in school and in life!
As a part of Week of the Young Child, ACCORD Head Start will be sharing daily Facebook posts on our ACCORD Facebook page to show what our students are doing in the classroom. We will also be out in the community thanking our community partners for supporting our program and the families that we have the opportunity to work with. Be sure to like our page on Facebook to see all the fun that we have in Head Start. If you have a child under the age of 5, be a part of the Head Start Advantage! Give us a call at 585-268-7605 extension 1525 to apply for Head Start for your child. You can also visit our website at www.accordcorp.org to start your application online.