Policy

Head Start programs recognize parents’ roles as children’s first and lifelong teachers. Review requirements for engaging parents and family members in the program's education services and policy implementation.

Explore the standards for designing a home-based program option, including home visiting experiences, curriculum, group socializations, and screenings and assessments.

This standard outlines the requirements for tribal language preservation and revitalization in programs that serve American Indian and Alaska Native children.

Program must provide high-quality health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and support each child’s growth and school readiness.

This standard outlines requirements for collaborating with parents as partners in the health, mental health, and well-being of their children.

This standard requires programs to ensure children have a source of health care, are up to date on their health status, and receive ongoing and extended follow-up care as needed.

Head Start programs must promote effective oral health hygiene by ensuring all children with teeth are assisted in brushing their teeth with toothpaste containing fluoride once daily.

Read the standards for designing and providing nutrition services that meet needs of each child, as well as funding sources for implementation.

Head Start programs must use a multidisciplinary approach to support a program-wide culture that promotes children’s mental health, social and emotional well-being, and overall health and safety.

Programs must collaborate with parents to promote children’s health and well-being by providing medical, oral, nutrition and mental health education support services that are understandable to everyone.