Opportunity Alliance Has Openings for Head Start Pre-School

Find out if you are income eligible for Opportunity Alliance's early education Head Start pre-school. 

Early Childhood and Family Education programming at The Opportunity Alliance is gearing up for another school year. As the Community Action Agency for Cumberland County, The Opportunity Alliance has provided Head Start and Early Head Start programming from the earliest days of these programs’ inception in 1965. Head Start/Early Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families.  Head Start/Early Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children’s growth in language and literacy, cognition and general knowledge, physical development and health, social and emotional development, and approaches to learning.

Early childhood education is essential for the long-term well being of our community. We know that quality early learning programs provide essential experiences for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers that can actually shape a child’s brain architecture.  In fact, research in both neuroscience and economics tells us that quality early childhood education is the most efficient way to affect school and life success and to reduce social expenditures in later life.  This same research tells us that returns are greatest for the most at-risk children, reducing costs later on in special education and remedial classes.

Currently, there are 25 open slots for four-year-olds in the Head Start pre-school for income eligible families. This is a day-long pre-school program for working families. To find out if you’re income eligible, contact Michelle Flechtner at 207-553-5810, or go to Opportunity Alliance and contact them through the website.