About EHS

In the last decade, there has been increased understanding of the importance of a child's first years in the development of the brain and how he or she will interact with the world throughout his or her life. Responding to the growing consensus, the Head Start Bureau, which had primarily served children 3 to 5 since the 1960's, created Early Head Start in 1994 to serve pregnant women and children birth to three years of age.

The community-based Early Head Start program is based on a foundation of nine principles:

1. High Quality: This means that programs will develop policies and practices founded in the knowledge, skills, and professional ethics upheld by the fields of children development, family development, and community building. The unique nature of infant and toddler development is particularly important. Program practices must spring from an awareness of both the opportunities for intervention and the fact that young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of a negative caregiving environment.

2. Prevention and Promotion: Proactive promotion of healthy child development and family functioning begins before conception, and continues prenatally, upon birth, and though the early years. The prevention and detection of developmental concerns should occur at the earliest possible time.

3. Positive Relationships and Continuity: Strong positive relationships that continue over time are key elements in a high quality program. These relationships include the child, family, and staff, and recognize the parent-child bond as the child’s most significant relationship. Infant and toddler caregiving practices must support child attachment by minimizing the number of different caregivers and supporting long-term caregiving relationships. The relationships between staff is based on respect for the child and family’s home culture.

4. Parent Involvement: Like the regular Head Start program, Early Head Start supports the highest level of parent involvement and partnership. Programs will make a special effort to support the role of fathers in parenting activities. Parents are recognized as the child’s primary nurturers and advocates; and will be active participants in policy and decision-making roles.

5. Inclusion: Programs will welcome and fully include children with disabilities. The individual needs of each child will be evaluated and responded to in a way that builds upon individual strengths. Programs will also support the child and family’s full participation in community activities.

6. Culture: Home culture and the language of each family will be supported. Programs will also explore the role of culture and language in child and family development, and community values and attitudes.

7. Comprehensive, Flexibility, Responsiveness, and Intensity: Services are based on the belief that all families can identify their own needs and strengths, set their own goals, and are capable of growth. Therefore, programs must maintain the flexibility to respond with varying levels of intensity based on families’ needs and resources.

8. Transitions: A smooth transition from Early Head Start into Head Start or other quality programs and support services must be facilitated by programs.

9. Collaboration: Early Head Start programs must recognize that no one program can meet all the needs of a child and family. They must seek to build strong partnerships within the communities in which they operate.