HACAP’s Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs that have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. Head Start is dedicated to providing year-round, all-day care for children so parents can work and pursue education full-time.
Examples of Head Start success stories often come to us in the forms of letters from Head Start parents. We recently received one such letter from a college student with a child in Head Start. Her son was one of eight students in a Head Start toddler program. Her boy is now 5 years old and has graduated from Head Start; subsequently she has recently graduated from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids earning a degree in Secondary Education and Biology. This young mother is thankful to the Head Start program for being open the entire day, allowing her time to study between classes before picking up her son in the evening. She was able to take summer classes thanks to the availability Head Start during summer.
“The classes I took (during summer) enabled me to add a few more endorsements to my degree, being a more marketable candidate and versatile teacher…I recently was offered a job to work for the Des Moines Public Schools teaching middle school science. I am on the path to self-sufficiency and a rewarding career. My son attending Head Start definitely allowed this to occur.”
The letter concluded with a Thank You to HACAP for providing the Head Start program and hopes that Head Start would continue and flourish for other parents and children who benefit so much from the opportunity it provides.