About Us

Philosophy

We believe that an Early Childhood program should work along with parents to build a partnership that reflects an interest in the whole child. Each family has strengths and weaknesses that are essential elements of any comprehensive program. Each child has physical, social, emotional and cognitive strengths and needs that are the basis for a standard curriculum. In order for children to learn and achieve their goals, parents and staff must work together to help them feel secure and safe. We believe that the early years are critical in a child’s development and the quality of care they receive in their early years will have a lasting effect.

Early Head Start

Early Head Start (EHS) offers two options of service to families: (1) Center-based and (2) Home-based. The Center-based program is housed at Southside Early Childhood Center. The program provides a traditional full-day experience to eligible families. Our multi-age classrooms provide infants and toddlers with experiences, which more closely resemble those of the normal home. All efforts are made to have the teacher remain consistent for the entire time a child is in the Early Head Start program. We believe this arrangement creates more opportunities for staff to interact and bond with children while increasing a child’s sense of security, allowing for better growth, learning, and overall development. All teachers working with infants and toddlers are required to have a degree in Early Childhood Education or at minimal, the CDA Credential in Infant/Toddler Care.

In the Home-based program, Lancaster Early Head Start serves up to twenty-four (24) families including children ages birth to three years old and expecting mothers (Prenatal). These families receive comprehensive services through scheduled home visits and socialization, which is a requirement of Early Head Start Performance Standards. The prenatal component provides services to expecting moms and families. Areas such as breastfeeding and care pre/post-labor are emphasized during visits. After delivery, parents are given the option to transition their child into the home-based component for continued services as well as be placed on the waitlist for the center-based program.

Head Start

The Head Start program offers comprehensive child development services to families with children age three (3) to four (4), including children with disabilities. Head Start offers services to 131 students in the center-based component. Each 3K classroom serves 17 three-year-olds and each 4K classroom serves 20 four-year-olds. Each classroom is supervised by a certified teacher and teacher assistant with a degree in Early Childhood Education.