HEAD START

PROGRAMS
SUBJECT: CURRICULUM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

LECTURER : MS NORHAZLINA BINTI ZAINI

PRESENT BY : NUR ALIANA NATASYA ABDUL GHAFAR

UMAIRAH YUSRINA BINTI WIRMAN

WHEN WAS THE PROGRAM STARTED ?

• HEAD START BEGAN IN 1965 AND WAS LATER

UPDATED BY THE HEAD START ACT OF 1981.
• IT WENT THROUGH ITS MOST INTENSE REVISIONS IN
ITS LATEST RE-AUTHORIZATION IN DECEMBER, 2007.
• IT IS THE LONGEST-RUNNING PROGRAM TO
ADDRESS SYSTEMIC POVERTY IN THE UNITED
STATES.
WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR THE PROGRAM ?
• HEAD START IS A PROGRAM OF THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THAT
PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION,
HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND PARENT
INVOLVEMENT SERVICES TO LOW-
INCOME CHILDREN AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
• HEAD START WAS STARTED AS PART OF
PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON’S WAR ON
POVERTY. THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY’S COMMUNITY ACTION
PROGRAM LAUNCHED PROJECT HEAD
START AS AN EIGHT-WEEK SUMMER
PROGRAM IN 1965.
• THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO HELP
END POVERTY BY PROVIDING PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
WITH A PROGRAM THAT WOULD MEET
EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH,
NUTRITIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS.
• THOSE INDIVIDUALS LIVING BELOW THE
POVERTY THRESHOLD EXPERIENCE FOOD
INSECURITY AND HUNGER AT OVER THREE
TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
 WHO IS SERVED BY THE PROGRAM ?

•THE POOR • LOW INCOME WOMEN

•THE WORKING POOR • ETHNIC MINORITIES
•THE YOUNG • INNER-CITY AND
RURAL DWELLERS
 WHAT TYPES OF ASSISTANCE DOES THE PROGRAM
PROVIDE ? (I)
PROGRAMS BREAK DOWN
• EARLY HEAD START – PROMOTES HEALTHY PRENATAL OUTCOMES, PROMOTES HEALTH FAMILY THE
DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS BEGINNING AS YOUNG AS NEW BORN INFANTS.
• HEAD START – HELPS TO CREATE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT IN LOW-INCOME CHILDREN AGES THREE TO
FIVE. PROGRAMS OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICES, THAT DEPEND ON A CHILD’S AND EACH FAMILY’S
HERITAGE AND EXPERIENCE, TO INFLUENCE ALL ASPECTS OF A CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT AND LEANING.
• MIGRANT AND SEASONAL PROGRAM BRANCH - PROVIDE HEAD START SERVICE TO CHILDREN OF
MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARM WORKS WHO MEET INCOME AND OTHER ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES.
SERVICE ARE FOR CHILDREN FROM 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OF AGE. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE
WORKS DONE BY THE FAMILIES THE OUR OF SERVICE ARE LONGER AND THE LENGTH OF PROGRAM IS
SHORTER (FEWER MONTHS THAT TRADITIONAL HEAD START SERVICE.
• AMERICAN INDIAN–ALASKA NATIVE PROGRAM BRANCH – PROVIDE AMERICAN INDIAN-ALASKA
NATIVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH SERVICE SUCH AS HEALTH CARE EDUCATIONAL, NUTRITIONAL,
SOCIALIZATION AS WELL AS OTHER SERVICE PROMOTING SCHOOL READINESS. SERVICE ARE PRIMARILY
FOR DISADVANTAGE PRESCHOOL CHILDREN, INFANTS AND TODDLERS.
WHAT TYPES OF ASSISTANCE DOES
THE PROGRAM PROVIDE ? (II)
HEAD START PROGRAMS PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESS BY
ENHANCING:
• The social and cognitive • They engage parents in • Significant emphasis is
development of children their children’s learning placed on the
through the provision of and help them in involvement of parents
educational, health, making progress toward in the administration of
nutritional, social and their educational, local Head Start
other services to literacy and Programs.
enrolled children and employment goals.
families.
 WHAT TYPES OF ASSISTANCE DOES THE PROGRAM
PROVIDE ? (III)

NUTRITION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

• Grantee and delegate agencies must design and implement a nutrition program that meets the nutritional needs and
feeding requirements of each child, including those with special dietary needs and children with disabilities. Also, the
nutrition program cultural and ethnic preferences and which broaden the child’s food experience.
• Each child in a part day centre based setting must receive meals and snacks that provide at least 1/3 of the child’s
daily nutritional needs.
• Each child in a centre based full day program must receive meals and snacks that provide ½ to 2/3 of the child’s daily
nutritional needs, depending upon the length of the program day.
• For 3-5 year old in centre based setting, the quantities and kinds of food served must conform to recommended
serving sizes and minimum standard menu planning requirements.
• All children in morning centre based settings who have not received breakfast at the time they arrive at the Early
Head Starts program must be served a nourishing breakfast.
WHAT ROLE DO NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS PLAY IN THIS PROGRAM?
• Participate in menu • Ensure that the nutrition • Obtain information about
planning and review and program serves a variety of each child’s eating patterns
take steps to assure a high foods which consider and cultural preferences,
quality food program that cultural and ethnic special dietary
incorporates ethnic foods preferences and which requirements for each child
and menus. broaden each child’ food with nutrition related health
• Ensure that foods served experience. problems and feeding
are high in nutrients and • Ensure that medically based requirements for children
low in fat, sugar and salt. diets or other dietary with disabilities.
• Ensure that meal and snack requirements are • Provide nutrition
periods in the center or accommodated. counselling, education and
classroom are appropriately • Identify each child’s training for parents, and
scheduled and adjusted nutritional need, taking into help parents and staff
when necessary to ensure account relevant nutrition formulate plans for the
that the children’s related assessment data Head Start nutrition
nutritional needs are met. (height, weight, program.
hemoglobin or hematocrit).
 NAMES OF SCHOOLS THAT USE HEAD
START AT MALAYSIA

• Head Start Malaysia (Lot 3F-25 3rd Floor, SACC Mall, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor)
• Head Start Academy Damansara (Lot No. 3A.07 & 3A.08 Level 3A, Glo Damansara Mall, 699,
Jalan Damansara, 60000, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur)