Calling all parents of preschool aged children!  Now is the time to sign your child up for the Head Start program starting in September! Child and Family Opportunities, Inc. is now seeking applications for its 2003/2004 Preschool Head Start programs (3-5 year olds) in the following

communities: Ellsworth, Bucksport, Harrington, Lubec, Calais, Machias, Jonesport, Sullivan, Stonington. 

Head Start is well known as a comprehensive program that offers services for children in the areas of health, nutrition, and individualized preschool curriculums.  It also offers parents education, training and involvement in classrooms and on governing bodies. Helping families access other social service agencies is also an important component of the program.  Nutritious meals and snacks are included in the program.

In part-day, part-year Head Start programs, children are enrolled free of charge. Child and Family Opportunities' part-day, part-year center-based programs are located in Bucksport, Stonington, Sullivan, Harrington, Jonesport, Machias, Lubec and Calais. (In Calais, the part-day program is a combined Early Kindergarten/Head Start program at the elementary school with four year olds prioritized for enrollment). Children in part-day centers generally attend four hours a day, four days a week from September to May.  

Full-day, full-week programs are offered at centers in Ellsworth, Jonesport, Machias and Calais.  These programs are for families needing full-day child care services in addition to the Head Start program. (In Calais the full-day/week program will be housed on the campus of Washington County Community College and is scheduled to open this Fall). For families enrolled in the combined Head Start/child care programs, a subsidized fee for child care is assessed using the State of Maine's income guideline criteria for child care subsidies.   Each of the full-day centers have slots available for families not needing child care subsidies as well as slots for infants and toddlers. (The Calais infant and toddler program is scheduled to open in January, 2004) Applications and enrollment details for all programs are available by contacting Luann Corkins at 1-800-834-4378.   For more information on Child and Family Opportunities, visit the agency's website at childandfamilyopp.org