What Is Early Head Start?

Early Head Start (EHS) serves pregnant women and children birth to 5, providing guidance, information and direct services to foster healthy development of children and their families during children's most formative years.

Early Head Start:

Teaches families healthy parenting skills.



Assesses children for appropriate physical, social and emotional development.



Provides referrals to appropriate health care and social welfare providers.



Identifies resources in areas such as job training, medical/dental care, family counseling.

Results from a rigorous national evaluation show:

Early Head Start children, age 2, scored higher on infant cognitive development than other children.



Parents of EHS 2-year-olds read to their children more and were more likely to stimulate cognitive and language development.



EHS mothers were less likely to use corporal punishment to discipline children.