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Head Start
& Early Head Start programs
Head Start programs are helping children get ready to succeed in school and in life through learning experiences tailored to their changing needs and abilities.
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All OOI Pre-K classrooms are staffed with a Teacher who holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Teacher Assistant certified with a Child Development Associate credential within the first year of employment.
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To obtain an application:
Head Start classrooms are found in Baxter, Boone, Marion, Newton, Searcy & Van Buren Counties.
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Early Head Start classrooms are found in Baxter, Boone, and Van Buren Counties.
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​Early Head Start programs provide similar services as preschool Head Start programs, but they are tailored for the unique needs of infants and toddlers. Early Head Start programs promote the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers through safe and developmentally enriching caregiving.
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A national evaluation found:
At the end of the program, 3-year-old Early Head Start (EHS) children performed significantly better on a range of cognitive, language, and social and emotional development measures than a randomly assigned control group.
Additionally, the parents of the 3-year-olds scored significantly higher than control group parents on many aspects of home environment, parenting behavior, and progress toward self-sufficiency.
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All OOI Early Head Start classrooms are staffed with EHS Teachers who obtain their Child Development Associate credential within the first year of employment.