OVERVIEW
In Bloomington-Normal are based higher Early Pre-school programs. Heartland Head start is one of the Pre-Kindergarten local programs which prepares exceptionally your child to be academically and socially ready for a full and intense day of learning to helps him to be ready for the rest of their school career. The Head Start is a unique local program which provides comprehensive educational, health and social services for low income pre-school age children and their families.
Heartland Head Start enhances the lives of children and families who meet the federal income and eligibility guidelines in McLean and Livingston Counties in Central Illinois. We do this by providing a comprehensive child and family development program for women receiving prenatal care, children ages birth to 5 years old and their families.
Our vision at Heartland Head Start is to implement high quality programming and partnerships in order to have ready children, ready families and ready schools. To that end, we strive for an organization that has engaged staff members who love to learn and use creative approaches to meet each child's and family's individual needs.
SCHOOL LOCATIONS
Stillwell East (206 Stillwell St. Bloomington, IL 61701)
Stillwell West (1407 W. Washington St. Bloomington, IL 61701)
YWCA (1201 N Hershey Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704)
Livingston County Location (1303 E. Indiana Ave. Pontiac, IL 61764)
THE STORY
Heartland Head Start is well established and has been providing services since 1965 in Bloomington-Normal area. In 1964, the Federal Government asked a panel of child development experts to draw up a program for helping communities overcome the handicaps of disadvantaged preschool children. Project Head Start became a program of the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965 and was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet all of their physical and mental needs. Now recruiting children age three to school-entry age, educators, child development specialists, community leaders, and parents enthusiastically receive Head Start across the Bloomington- Normal areas. http://www.heartlandheadstart.org.
Head Start’s goal has been to boost the school readiness of community children. Based on a “whole child” model, the local program provides comprehensive services that include preschool education, medical (dental and mental health care) and nutrition services to help local parents foster their child’s development. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each local child’s and family’s ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.
ELIGIBILTY
Heartland Head start local Pre-K staff determines eligibility and student acceptance into the program. Eligibility for Head Start is determined by guidelines established by the federal government:
Families must meet income guidelines which are 100% of the federal income guidelines.
- Families receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) are eligible regardless of income.
- Foster families or families who are considered homeless are eligible.
- Families that have special needs, regardless of income are also encouraged to apply.
- Families seeking full-day services must be working and/or attending school/training at least 30 hours per week during hours of program operation. Child must be 3 years of age on or before September 1st of the current school year.
- Enrollment is NOT first come-first served. The family with the greatest need receives services first, no matter the date of application for enrollment.
PROGRAM OPTIONS
To make sure your child is off to a good start, they are 2 free options available to all eligible families:
Part Day Program: Children attend either an AM or PM session for 3 and ½ hours Monday through Thursday. A snack and meal is provided. Transportation is provided as long as the child lives in the transportation area.
Full day Program: this option is available to a limited number of families who meet the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Child Care Subsidy Guidelines. This program is designed for those parents who are working or attending school full time. This program meets Monday through Friday and is an extended version of the part day program. Full Day is open from 7:00am to 5:30pm. There is a fee for attending full day.
The fee is determined by Child Care Resource and Referral Network (CCRRN) and is based on parent income.
Expansion Early Heart Start: Heartland Head Start is in the way to meet local community needs to helping families who haven't been getting the help they need. The Early Head Start is expanding to work daily with local pregnant woman, infants and toddlers. Heartland Head start will work especially with the Health Department which provides services to pregnant women and young children then they're going to catch the children earlier to help them to prepare for school.
HEARTLAND HEAD START READINESS GOAL
The Early Head Start and Head Start approach to School Readiness means that children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children’s learning and schools are ready for children. Early Head Start and Head Start provides a comprehensive focus on all aspects of healthy development, including physical, cognitive, social and emotional development, all of which are essential to children getting ready for school. HEARTLAND HEAD START is required to establish school readiness goals which are defined as “the expectations of children’s status and progress across domains of language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge, approaches to learning, physical health and well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development that will improve readiness for kindergarten goals” and that “appropriately reflect the ages of children, birth to five, participating in the program.” Early Head Start and Head Start views school readiness as children possessing the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for success in school and for later learning and life.
FUNDING and VOLUNTEERING
Bloomington-Normal Head Start receives federal grant funding from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to operate. The funding requires a 20% in-kind match through donated funds, space, materials, volunteer hours, and services from the local communities where services are provided. Both local parents and local community members are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer in this program. Heartland Head Start volunteer hours are "valued" at a dollar amount and are counted as part of the in-kind match from the local community.
CONTACT INFO
Phone: +1 (309) 662-4880
Fax: +1 (309) 662-9470
Heartland Head Start Central Office
206 Stillwell St. Bloomington, IL 61701 United States of America
