Parents

Your Extremely Important Role

Parents play an extremely important role in the Head Start Program. We believe that the parent is the child’s first and best teacher and that children feel valued when their parents or guardians participate in their child’s education.

Ongoing research shows that family engagement in schools improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s education. Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test scores, have better social skills and show improved behavior.

In addition to these benefits, volunteering is critical to the successful operation of our Head Start program. Head Start programs receive 80 percent of the program costs from the federal government and are required to provide the remaining 20 percent. For example, for every $10 spent to operate a Head Start program, the federal government provides $8 and the program contributes the remaining $2 through non-federal resources which can be either a cash match or donations of goods or services that cover legitimate program operating costs.