Head Start helps many rural families with more than childcare - Entrepreneur Generations

The federally-funded Head Start program helps low-income families across the U.S. with childcare, but in rural areas it can be a critical resource for more than that. "In 2015-16, 68 percent of rural families with a child enrolled in Head Start received a family service including job training, parenting education, and substance abuse prevention through the program," Jackie Mader reports for The Hechinger Report.

A new report by the Center for American Progress found that, in some states, Head Start accounts for one-third of all childcare centers. In rural areas, sometimes Head Start is the only available source of childcare for families, enabling parents to go back to work or work more hours. That means the program has a big impact on rural economies too.

"Mississippi’s Head Start centers provide each child with five screenings when they enroll, including a vision, hearing and dental screening, to ensure no health issues are standing in the way of learning. Many children in the state’s rural or low-income communities would not get these screenings if not for Head Start," Mader reports. "The centers also work with each parent to create a plan for short and long-term goals and connects families with resources that can help parents meet their goals and services that can help children with any developmental delays that arise." 

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2EFNz4U Head Start helps many rural families with more than childcare - Entrepreneur Generations

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