Head Start Birth to Five


Enrolling Children Ages 0-5





City of Phoenix Birth to Five Program provides free comprehensive early childhood development and family support services to eligible low-income families with children ages 0-5 and at risk pregnant women. The program has an emphasis on promoting school readiness through early learning opportunities that promote strong child outcomes in the areas of social and emotional development, language, cognitive, early reading, science, math, and physical development.


EARLY HEAD START HOME-BASED

This option provides services in the home environment for pregnant women and families with children under the age of 3. Families commit to weekly home visits and monthly play groups.

EARLY HEAD START CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIPS

This option provides services to children under the age of 3 in a DES contracted child care center. It requires parents to be working and/or attending school full time.

HEAD START CENTER-BASED PRESCHOOL

This option provides services in a classroom setting for families with children 4 years old by September 1. Some sites accept children age 3 by September 1.

 

 

School Readiness<div class="ExternalClass49A8637F2E434E93AB0D90583073B81D"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p><font size="3"><span style="color:black;font-family:"arial",sans-serif;">The Birth to Five Program prepares children for success by enhancing development in the areas of physical development and health; cognitive and general knowledge; language/literacy; social/emotional development, and approaches to learning, through engaging families in the establishment of strong collaborative partnerships with schools and community.  Ready teachers, ready communities, and ready children!</span></font></p><p><font size="3"><span style="color:black;font-family:"arial",sans-serif;"><a href="/humanservicessite/Documents/Revised%20January%202019%20SR%20Newsletter.pdf">https://www.phoenix.gov/humanservicessite/Documents/Revised%20January%202019%20SR%20Newsletter.pdf</a></span></font></p><p><font size="3"><span style="color:black;font-family:"arial",sans-serif;"></span></font> </p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div>
Resources for Families<div class="ExternalClassB20B6004D8C941DE813740ECDBE2682F"><p><span style="font-size:18pt;">Find Help Phoenix</span></p><p>Maricopa County Department of Public Health created FindHelpPhx.org and its Spanish partner site EncuentraAyudaPhx.org to give Maricopa County residents an easy way to find health and social services for themselves. The website is easy to use and available where there is internet access, including smartphones.</p><p>​<a href="https://www.findhelpphx.org/">https://www.findhelpphx.org/</a></p><p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><br>211</span></p><p>Community Information and Referral Services was founded in 1964 and incorporated as a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 1979.</p><p><a href="https://211arizona.org/">https://211arizona.org/</a> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#444444;font-size:18pt;">Women, Infants & Children (WIC)</span></p><p>What Does WIC Provide?</p><ul><li><p>Breastfeeding support</p></li><li><p>Healthy foods</p></li><li><p>Nutrition information</p></li><li><p>Referrals to health care and other social services</p></li></ul><p>Who is WIC For?</p><ul><li><p>Breastfeeding women</p></li><li><p>Children (under age 5)</p></li><li><p>Infants</p></li><li><p>Postpartum women</p></li><li><p>Pregnant women</p></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.maricopa.gov/1491/Women-Infants-Children-WIC">https://www.maricopa.gov/1491/Women-Infants-Children-WIC</a></p><p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><br>Mercy Care/AHCCCS</span></p><p>If you're experiencing behavioral health or substance abuse issues, you can call Mercy Care RBHA. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach Mercy Care RBHA Member Services at <a href="tel:602-586-1841">602-586-1841</a> or toll-free <a href="tel:1-800-564-5465">1-800-564-5465</a>; (TTY/TDD) 711. </p><h3><strong style="font-size:18pt;"></strong> </h3><p><span style="font-size:18pt;">Behavioral Health Crisis Line</span><br><br>Facing a behavioral health crisis? Call <a href="tel:602-222-9444">602-222-9444</a> or </p><p><a href="tel:1-800-631-1314">1-800-631-1314</a></p></div>
Health<div class="ExternalClassAD9E1E22EDDC4D7693984ADFC21AD679"><p>Health is essential to school readiness as it supports learning throughout childhood and later. Our programs' health services have a comprehensive approach built upon prevention and early detection. This approach ensures that children and families have access to health insurance, regular screenings, immunizations, well child visits, oral health, and prenatal services.</p></div>
Nutrition<div class="ExternalClassC5F0C8190524439CB4F42D80A4199D7B"><p>​Our program offers all children age appropriate meals meeting the nutritional requirements established by either the Child and Adult Care Food Programs or the National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs. Both of these federal programs monitor the City's Birth to Five Nutrition Program to ensure that all children, including those with disabilities and medically ordered food accommodations, are provided a wide variety of foods and culturally appropriate foods to meet their nutritional requirements.</p><p>Our program encourages its classrooms and child care providers to implement, as age appropriate, family style meal service. This type of meal service uses the division of responsibility of adults and children which was pioneered by Ellyn Satter, RD. This meal service puts the responsibility of providing a variety of foods at meal times and when the meals will be served on the teachers and child care providers. Children are given the responsibility of deciding whether they will eat from the given choices and how much they will eat. </p><p>The City of Phoenix's Birth to Five Program encourages to extend the use of family style meal service at home. Research has shown that children who are raised eating family style eat healthier foods, have better communication skills, get better grades in school, and are less likely to be obese. </p></div>
Family Engagement<div class="ExternalClass30E0E37D00DA4D5BAEE5B23C74002262"><p>An essential part of every child's growth and development is having engaged family support. Our program strives to include families in education, planning and program operations to help them gain skills necessary to become advocates and engage in school readiness activities and experiences. In addition, many employees in our program are former Head Start parents.</p></div>
Social Services<div class="ExternalClass3A7FA354EFE64229888D527ED3107331"><p>​Family advocates and caseworkers provide wide array of social services and family stabilization support to enrolled families.  Working from a strength-based approach, staff work with families to assess their needs, connect them to community resources and help them achieve personal and family goals.</p></div>
​​​Early Childhood Special Education<div class="ExternalClass13FFB42A68D3498FAEF3E7A344C831CE"><p>At least 10 percent of Head Start's enrollment is dedicated to children with disabilities or other special needs.  Specially trained staff work closely with community agencies to provide services to children while simultaneously providing them with an integrated, developmentally appropriate early childhood experience within Head Start classrooms.</p><p>Services Offered:</p><p>- Provide screening and referral for infants, toddlers and preschoolers</p><p><span aria-hidden="true"></span>- Partner directly with families to make referrals to Early Intervention, Child Find and Early Childhood Special Education<span aria-hidden="true"></span></p><p>- Listen, support, and strengthen relationships with families, staff and service providers</p><p>- Advocate for and connect families with local community agencies and resources</p><p>- Individualized services for young children with special needs</p></div>
Behavior Supports<div class="ExternalClassCC77FF9A63CA4BF4BF77E7F048A79059"><p>The Behavior Support Team works with teachers and families to support children in their social emotional development and assists with any behavioral issues that may be impacting their school readiness. </p></div>
Building Strategic Alliances<div class="ExternalClass08E7F005FB0A41CC8FFDBF5D24D308A6"><p>​The Head Start Birth to Five Program engages with the local community to build strategic alliances to enhance program services, connect families with important resources, and create strong linkages to promote a strong foundation for families.</p></div>
Male Involvement Program<div class="ExternalClass2C127AB38F114AB79091C0A273577E12"><p>​Our program engages fathers and other male role models, through our M.A.N. C.A.V.E (Men All Need to be Caring, Actively-Engaged, Vested, and Encouraged) program.  It is implemented in all aspects of program operations to emphasize and promote the value men have on the growth and development of young children as well as the impact they have within the broader community.</p></div>

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