Child and Family Opportunities, Inc. will have openings for the 2007/2008 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. 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 is housed on the campus of Washington County Community College). 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.

Applications and enrollment details for all programs are available by contacting Melissa Mattes at 1-800-834-4378.