Mission Statement
Morgan State University Head Start strives to provide services that are family-centered, following the tenets that children develop in the context of their family and culture and that parents are respected as the primary educators and nurturers if their children. Morgan State University Head Start offers family members opportunities and support for growth and change, believing that people can identify their own strengths, needs, and interests and are capable of finding solutions.
Head Start Philosophy
The Head Start program has a long tradition of delivering comprehensive and high quality services designed to foster healthy development in low-income children. Morgan State University Head Start agencies provide a range of individualized services in the areas of education and early childhood development, medical, dental, and mental health, nutrition, and parent involvement. In addition, the entire range of Head Start services is responsive and appropriate to each child and family’s developmental, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage and experience.
Head Start Overview
Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that was launched in 1965, by the Office of Economic Opportunity. The project was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs. In 1975, Performance Standards were adapted to ensure that every Head Start program provide a full range of services necessary to meet the goals of each service area: Child Development, Social Services, Education, Health, Nutrition and Parent/Family Involvement.
Head Start is a program with the overall goal of increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families. “Social Competence” is the child’s everyday effectiveness in dealing with both his or her present environment and later responsibilities in school and life.