Contact Us

 Head Start offers an early childhood program for children 3 to 5 years of age whose families qualify for our Head Start services. These Head Start centers generally operate a part-day program from 8am to 12 noon that includes breakfast and lunch. We also offer a full-day program to meet the needs of parents who are working or attending school. These Child Development Centers (CDC) generally operate from 7am to 5pm and includes breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.  

 The Home Base program services families throughout Oahu emphasizing the parent's role as the primary teacher and advocate for their child. The home visitor visits with the child and family in the comfort of their own home for 1 1/2 hours each week. The home visitor encourages good parenting practices, teaches parenting skills and provides lessons to promote parent-child interactions and learning with age appropriate fun activities. Bi-monthly clusters at various sites with other home base families are planned for group socialization. This is a great way to strengthen parent-child relationships and prepare your child for school. 

 The Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) is a unique program that offers the same Head Start quality service normally associated with a classroom setting in a home environment. Each certified childcare provider follows Head Start's Performance Standard, to ensure a high quality program in a small group setting. All homes in this program are licensed by the State Department of Human Services. 

Head Start believes that all children are entitled to experience and participate actively in natural settings within their communities. This has led to the partnership between the DOE Pre-school Special Education program and Head Start. The Inclusion classrooms are staffed with a DOE Special Education Teacher and Assistant and a Head Start Teacher and Assistant. These team members work together to provide a regular center-based curriculum that is adapted to meet the individual needs and strengths of all the children. All the children and their families benefit from this environment that encourages self-respect, patience and acceptance of others.

We provide child care program for children of Waianae High School teen parents at the Koa Iki facility. The facility runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We service 10 children between the ages 6 weeks to 3 years old. The staff provide developmentally appropriate activities for the children and family support services for the teen parents and their families. The family support services include training and workshops in parenting, early childhood health, nutrition and safety, and two family activities. 

• How can I enroll my child in Head Start?
       There are several ways to submit an application for your child to enroll in      Head Start. You may submit your information online through this website      by following this link here. You can download an application here, fill it out,      and mail it to the address listed on the application. Or you may call our      automated answering machine at 847-1000 to request an application to be      sent to you.
• How old does my child have to be to get into Head Start?
       For our Head Start program, the age for enrollment is between 3 and 4      years of age. (If your child will be 3 years by this December, he/she is      also eligible to apply.)
• Does my child have to be potty trained?
       No, Head Start does not require children to be potty trained for      enrollment.
• What are the income requirements? How do I know if my family qualifies?
       Income requirements are set by the federal government and are changed      each year. The best way to see if your family qualifies is to submit an      application or call 847-2400 to speak to a Family Advocate.
• Will my child be able to apply if he/she has a special need?
       Yes, we welcome children with special needs. We have qualified special      educators on board that will determine the least restrictive environment of      learning for your child.
• If the child's biological parents are not in the household, what types of documents are required to enroll her/him in the Head Start program?
       Power of Attorney document with the seal, adoption papers, or relevant      documents stating that the child is temporarily in your care.
   
• I've already applied, what next?
       If you have already completed and submitted an application there is a      process that is called the Application Eligibility Review which determines      if your family meets the Federal Income Guidelines and eligibility for the      program. The review will also identify which program your child is      eligible for. This review involves the following: 
  1. A Family Advocate assigned to your district will contact you to complete the application process.
  2. A meeting will be arranged with you to verify your family income and your child's birth date. To do this you will need statements of your family income for the past twelve (12) months. You can show this with pay stubs, your W-2 form, a written statement from your employer, or sign a Consent to Release letter so we may obtain this information from your payment worker. To verify your child's birth date we will need to see a birth certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal record or passport.
  3. During this meeting, the Family Advocate will also take statistical information about you and your family, such as the number of members in your household, your child's ethnicity, etc.
  4. After completing this review, your child's application will be placed on the appropriate waitlist to await consideration for enrollment into one of our programs.

• What are the hours of the Head Start program?
       Most of our part-day programs operate from 8am to 12 noon and the full-      day programs operate from 7am to 5pm.
   
• Can I stay in the classroom with my child?
       Yes, parents are always welcome to volunteer at their child's classroom.
• When does school start and end?
       We will be following the DOE schedule for start and end date of school.
• Will I need to turn in another application if my child is on the waitlist?
       No, your child will remain on the waitlist until a vacancy occurs in that      center, if you move you will need to contact the family advocate for that      area to transfer your child's application to another center without      reapplying. If the new school year begins and your child has not entered a      classroom, you will need to reapply if your child is 3-4 years old.
   
• I've met with a Family Advocate, when do I enroll my child?
       A Family Advocate will contact you to complete an enrollment packet to      prepare for your child's enrollment into the program. Part of the      enrollment packet will require getting a current physical exam,      immunization record, and a dental screening for your child.
• I've completed the enrollment packet when does my child start?
       Once the packet is completed, you will be contacted by your child's      teacher.
   

Additional information may be found in our Parent Handbook, Program Options section. 

We welcome any questions you may have and invite you to call us at 847-2400.

We look forward to assisting you with any of our programs.