Today’s guest post is from Audra Oestreich (see bio below) and is about something I believe in very much, Early Head Start. If you have young kids, this is an excellent program with lots of benefits for the entire family.

Head Start is a federally funded for program that promotes school readiness of young children. For fifty years, Head Start has given children and families the tools to succeed by ensuring a high quality education and access to healthcare and social services. Sarpy County Cooperative Head Start (SCCHS), a four school district cooperative program of Bellevue Public Schools, Papillion La Vista Community Schools, and Springfield Platteview Public Schools, provides services to pregnant women and children birth to age five. SCCHS serves 221 children through home base (anywhere in Sarpy County) and center base programs in Bellevue, Papillion and La Vista.

Here are 12 benefits to enrolling in Early Head Start services:

1. Receive Early Head Start services once a week in your own home at no cost to you.
2.  Share parenting successes and challenges. Your Home Visitor is there to support you through the joys and challenges of parenting! Need some tips on a temper tantrum? Or just want someone to share in the success of finally getting a full night’s sleep? That’s what a Home Visitor is there for!!
3. Learn how to locate and use resources in your own community to support your child’s development. Our staff have lots of resources available to connect your family with the right agency in the area!
4. Interact and network with other families who have babies and toddlers at bi-weekly socializations. Share what worked when you tried to potty train your toddler or how did you get your baby to actually eat avocados and like it?
5. Form a close relationship with your Early Head Start Home Visitor. Your Home Visitor will get to know you and your child so that they can form a partnership and help you meet your goals!
6. Eliminate feelings of isolation by forming relationships with other parents and your Home Visitor. Do you ever feel like you just want another adult to talk to? You can look forward your weekly visits from your Home Visitor as well as socializations with other parents in the program! Network with some parents at socialization and connect outside of socializations!!
7. Be directly involved with your child’s development.  You know your child best! You help plan the lesson plans for the following week. What are you looking to develop in your child’s skill set?
8. Learn how to use simple objects in your home to support your child’s development. It’s amazing what we have in our home that can suddenly become a toy—old cereal and tissue boxes can suddenly become building blocks! The laundry basket becomes a way to help your child learn how to walk!
9. Strengthen your relationship with your child. Our staff will encourage your relationship with your child as well as provide you with information on child development. As you better understand child development, it will lend to a stronger relationship!
10. Work on family’s goals established by YOU! Families establish goals that can range from getting a college degree, to buying a car, to getting a child potty trained—it can be anything that is important to your family!
11. You select the day and time to have home visits that best meet the needs of your family.
12. Learn about child development, home finances, cooking on a budget, home safety and other topics that you are interested in. Our staff provides education in home and attend agency events for even more learning opportunities!

Interested in applying for the program? Families must live in Sarpy County and meet income requirements. Check out www.sarpyheadstart.org or call Audra at 402-339-6592 ext. 107.

About the guest post author:
Audra Oestreich is the Child and Family Services Manager for both Early Head Start and Head Start Programs at Sarpy County Cooperative Head Start. She has a Master’s degree in Human Services and her undergraduate work is in psychology and early childhood education. Audra manages the enrollment for the agency, family services and oversee health and nutrition for the program.