Head Start

Head Start is a federally funded program for qualifying families that helps prepare children from birth to age 5 for school and lifelong success. The program promotes school readiness by supporting children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and language development during their earliest years.

Head Start provides a rich learning environment where children can grow in language, early reading, social skills, and emotional development. Just as importantly, the program supports the whole family by helping address health needs, connecting families to community and social service resources, and providing educational support that encourages a successful school experience.

A key part of Head Start is its strong belief that parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. The program works to build strong partnerships between families and schools, helping strengthen family well-being and create positive educational experiences for children.

Head Start began as a national program in 1965 during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. Since then, it has served more than 32 million children and families across the country. The program was expanded through the Head Start Act of 1981 and revised again in 2007. Today, Head Start remains the nation’s longest-running program focused on addressing poverty-related challenges that can affect children and families.

At Wichita Falls ISD, Head Start serves approximately 400 students. The WFISD Head Start principal is Letitia Willis. WFISD operates two Head Start campuses for 3-year-old and 4-year-old children in Wichita Falls:

• Haynes Head Start
• Brook Village Early Childhood Center

When a child turns 4, he or she will attend a Head Start 4-year-old class at one of these two campuses.

Why Head Start?

Head Start helps children and families by providing:

• Early childhood education
• Support for health and developmental needs
• Social and emotional learning opportunities
• Family support services
• Connections to community resources

Through these services, Head Start helps children enter school ready to learn and helps families build a strong foundation for future success.