Welcome To Rhode Island Head Start!
Head Start is a federally funded program created in 1965 in an effort to combat poverty. The program offers a wide range of services to low-income children aged three to five years old.

The 1994 reauthorization of the Head Start Act created Early Head Start for low-income families with infants, toddlers and pregnant women.

Children receive comprehensive services that provide for the education, health and emotional growth of the child. Services provided include: health, dental health, mental health, and nutrition. In addition, Head Start provides services for families including intensive social services, parent education programs and opportunities for parents to become actively involved in the Head Start program. Both Head Start and Early Head Start focus on the entire family, not just the child.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs offer flexibility by providing service options that offer an effective way to reach difficult to serve families.

In 2001 and 2002, two reports were released that evaluated the impact of Head Start programs on children and families. Studies found that both Head Start and Early Head Start have shown continued positive impact on the children and families who participate in the programs.

The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), an ongoing, national study of Head Start children and families released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shows that children who entered Head Start in Fall 1997 showed gains in their literacy/language, social and cognitive development by the end of that year.

In terms of parent and family outcomes, the FACES* study shows that parents of Head Start children generally reported extremely high levels of satisfaction with Head Start and view Head Start as an important source of support in rearing children.

Parents of Head Start children also reported spending increased time reading with their children and more time involved in educationally-focused recreational activities at home.