Early Childhood And Benefits

         Of early years!

My philosophies of early childhood of young ones!
April Olivares  EDU-271-IN1S

Early childhood programs "Head start" are publicly funded with federal money. They are geared toward families who are at a lower income level, with children under the age of 5. People wishing to enroll their children in Head Start/Early Head Start programs need to contact their local Head Start office. Some of the services can also be located by some local departments of human services, if available. Children who receive some kind of public assistance, due to medical or psychological conditions, are often also eligible. Each local office will determine a child's eligibility. Head Start programs aim to prepare the child for kindergarten, as well as to educate parents about their responsibilities and about child development.

Early childhood programs are dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, consistent, challenging and holistic environment for young children and their families. Each child's day has an individual rhythm, as well as a predictable flow and structure. To ensure this balance, we provide a warm, nurturing setting that encourages children to learn through hands-on interactive exploration. A play-based approach provides a child-centered, teacher-guided curriculum, in which children are encouraged to construct their own knowledge. We are committed to creating a nurturing learning environment in partnership with parents to develop a sense of belonging and high self-esteem in each child. The staff receive comprehensive ongoing professional development to stay current with the unique needs of young children and their families.

A mutually supportive and diverse community in today's complex milieu dictates the need for parents to seek care for their children outside of the home. For young children, as well as their parents, the experience of a child entering school for the first time is overwhelming.  The combination of a new environment, new materials, new people, and new demands placed upon children is overpowering. Due to this, many children may have difficulty adapting to their new environment and forming attachments to the new adults in their lives.