New website connects families to local Head Start resources

The Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) Department of Early Learning has launched a new website to help families living in Clay, Jackson and Platte counties connect with the MARC Head Start program. The website is a resource for families that want to enroll their children in a Head Start or Early Head Start program. Families with children already enrolled in a Head Start program can also visit the website to learn about additional resources and upcoming events.

MARC Head Start operates through a network of direct service providers, including school districts and community early learning centers. As the Head Start grantee for Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri, MARC supports Head Start policy and administrative activities in these counties. Direct service providers offer comprehensive early childhood services for children and families.

  “Our work with our youngest children in the Center School District is so important. Through our partnership with Head Start, we have been able to create and enrich opportunities for the children in our care,” said Tamara Sandage, principal for Yellowjacket Early Learning Center in the Center School District. “The new MARC Head Start website is a great resource for our families. Along with a focus on education, Head Start also provides mental health supports, resources for children with disabilities, opportunities for parents to grow, and health and nutrition services. The new website showcases all aspects of Head Start. This will not only benefit the families in the Center School District, but it will also benefit families in early learning centers and school districts throughout our community.”

Families interested in learning more about Head Start can visit marcheadstart.org. There are 33 direct service provider locations listed on the website. The website also includes the following tools and features:

• An online application tool.
• A map with a corresponding drop-down filter for families to identify Head Start centers close to home or work.
• A news and events section, highlighting the accomplishments of regional partners and promoting early education initiatives.
• Information for school districts and community early learning centers interested in joining the MARC Head Start network.
• Information about Head Start and the benefits it provides for families and children.
• Organizational development resources for participating school districts and community early learning centers.

MARC Head Start serves approximately 2,400 low-income children. Head Start promotes school readiness for children ages 3–5 from low-income families, while Early Head Start serves children from birth to age 3. In 2005, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families named MARC as the lead grantee for the Head Start program in Clay, Jackson and Platte counties.