Health and Nutrition
The Health Content Area is focused on the following each year to ensure quality service provision to children and families. The goal is the early identification of health problems and concerns in the children. The staff work to ensure each family has established a medical home, the appropriate physicals and dental exams are completed and immunizations are current. The Nutrition Content Area has been focused on educating the children enrolled, their families and HSGD staff on the benefits of healthy eating. The nutrition department provides two thirds of each child’s daily meals, providing breakfast, lunch and a snack each day. These two program areas were at the forefront of addressing the childhood obesity epidemic before it was a national concern.
Special Services
HSGD has over ten-percent of children enrolled with various developmental needs. We work in partnership with the school districts other professional contractors. Mental health services are carried out collaboratively with a team of Mental Health Professionals, Special Services Coordinators and outside mental health agencies. Services are provided for Head Start children in the classrooms, in consultation with teachers and play therapy. Individual counseling services are provided to parents at their request, as well as, training to the parents on parenting skills and mental health/disabilities awareness.
Education Services and Resources
The overall goal of the HSGD Education Department is to bring about a higher degree of social competence in children considered at risk. Our mission is to prepare children for successful transitions to Kindergarten and lay the foundation for healthy social competence.
Family Services Department
“Strong Family Advocates. Strong Families. Strong Communities.”
Family Services Department Consists of:
- Family Advocacy Manager
- Family Service Coordinators
- Family Advocates
The Family Services Department is governed by the Head Start Performance Standards. The Family Services Department is responsible for the execution of Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance (ERSEA) as well as the Parent Family and Community Partnerships.
The Family Services Department works closely with all content areas of Head Start of Greater Dallas while creating awareness and opportunities for community networking. The department collaborates with the school districts and participates on community advisory boards that are aligned with the purpose of our mission to serve our community by developing formal Memorandums of Understanding with social services providers.
The Family Services Department is also responsible for strengthening, mentoring, coaching, training, and providing technical assistance to Family Advocates on all content area duties and responsibilities.
Our Family Advocates are empowered to build trusting relationships with our families in order to assist them in positive goal setting to enhance family well-being and prepare their children for success in school.
The overview of the Family Services Department is to enroll age-eligible and income-eligible at-risk families and assist parents in becoming self-reliant and powerful community advocates.
