The ESC 19 Early Head Start (EHS) program serves almost 400 infants, toddlers, and pregnant women in fourteen of the nearly thirty Head Start centers throughout El Paso and Hudspeth counties.
In honor of 25 years of the Early Head Start program serving children and families across the nation, ESC 19 Early Head Start Education Development & Transition Program Manager Sylvia Parra answers some of the most frequently asked questions about our Early Head Start program:
Q. Is your program a daycare?
No, we are a high-quality early childhood program that provides services to children and children with disabilities and promotes children's cognitive, social, and emotional growth for later success in school. The program uses a researched-based curriculum that includes Frog Street Infant and Frog Street Toddler as our core curriculum, and teachers complete a weekly lesson plan. We screen and access children to support individualization and determine areas of development and growth as guided by the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
Q. Are you still enrolling during this time?
Yes. Both the ESC 19 Head Start and Early Head Start program are always enrolling. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is currently providing instructional services and support to Early Head Start parents through remote distance learning.
Q. How can distance learning be beneficial to an infant or toddler?
For decades breakthrough research has shown that a large portion of a child's foundational development occurs from birth to age three. Parents, as their child's first teacher, play a crucial role in their child's learning – especially in continuing to build their development from home during this time of remote and interactive learning. For infants, parents receive support with activities and exercises that assist the healthy and cognitive development of their baby. Toddlers can follow along with the age of specific activities and curriculum with assistance from their parents.
Q. How is distance learning conducted for EHS children?
Teachers use ClassDojo as means of communication with parents. This platform allows parents to receive messages related to their child's progress, view Lesson Plans for the week, and send pictures of their child completing a task, such as playing, exploring, or experimenting.
EHS Teachers schedule individual learning with parent/child Monday-Wednesday. Thursdays are for small groups to include another child. Fridays are makeup days for those parents who were not able to keep their schedule for various reasons.
The EHS program also continues to provide curbside service with the delivery of diapers, formula, grab-n-go meals, instructional materials, and computers. Also, the program facilitates toddler transitions from EHS to regular Head Start via virtual visits.
Q. Where can I find out more information about the Early Head Start Program?
To find out more information about the ESC Region 19 Early Head Start program, contact Sylvia Parra at
[email protected]. To begin the enrollment process, click the orange "Pre-Qualify" link at the top right corner of our webpage. For your child's success, the best start is an early start at Head Start!