Head Start Pre-Application Packets for 2013-14

Completed packets will be accepted beginning April 2, 2013.

Pre-Application Packet:  English | Spanish

Salem-Keizer Head Start Locations and Times

Classes begin in September.

Applications

Head Start applications are available at the school sites and by contacting the Head Start central office at 503-399-5510, or stopping by 1309 Ferry Street, Salem, OR.

• Salem-Keizer Head Start and Community Action Head Start use the same application to qualify families. The family's residence will determine which program will best serve the family.
• Proof of income to determine federal income eligibility, birth certificate and immunizations must accompany the application in order to complete the process.
• Applications are scored when they are received at the central office. Scores are determined by income and child/family needs.
• Eligible families are contacted to complete the required program paperwork. Families will be notified by mail if they are placed on the waiting list. We can only have 20 children in each classroom.
• As children drop from the program, new children are added from the waiting list.
• Returning children are re-enrolled in May for the following school year.
• Program applications are sent to elementary schools in April, in order to begin the enrollment process for the following year.

About Head Start

To be eligible for Head Start services, a child must be three or four by September 10 and be from a low-income family (meeting federal income guidelines). Generally, qualifying children live close to the school site they attend, ensuring a successful transition into kindergarten at the same location.

It is estimated that approximately 50 percent of the program families speak languages other than English. Since Spanish is the most predominant of the other languages spoken, all of the classrooms are staffed with bilingual language support and parent volunteers.

Each classroom has a paid parent assistant. The parent assistant is typically a parent of one of the Head Start students in the classroom.

Salem-Keizer Head Start is a state funded program. The Oregon Department of Education monitors the program. Head Start Performance Standards are mandatory regulations that all Head Start programs must implement. The standards define the objectives and goals of a quality program.

As the program grantee, the Salem-Keizer School Board and the program Policy Council have the responsibility of shared governance, overseeing the delivery of high quality services to children and families. Each classroom has two parent representatives on Policy Council who make decisions about program operation, approve program policies and serve as the link from the sites to Policy Council.

In accordance with the goals of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Salem-Keizer Head Start has high standards for children and staff. Staff are highly qualified district employees. The educational team uses ongoing assessment of each child, which enables them to set goals, individualize programs and keep parents informed of their child's progress throughout the school year.

Keyword: Headstart