Parent Info

At what age can my child attend the CHILD Center?

The CHILD Center accepts children from ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

How can I enroll my child?

You must qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start. Please call the CHILD Center for more information about the program at 352-519-1345.

During what times of the day can my child attend the Center?

The CHILD Center is open from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Head Start and Early Head Start program runs from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.  Wrap around care is available for the remainder of the day for families with ELC vouchers or those that would like to pay privately for that additional care. 

How many children are in a class?

We have four classes at the CHILD Center and each class has two teachers: 

Freshmen (infants and one-year-olds): 8 children
Sophomores (2-year-olds): 8 children
Juniors (3-year-olds): 17 children
Seniors (4-year-olds): 20 children

Are meals and snacks provided?

The CHILD Center provides breakfast, lunch, and a snack each day. All meals meet both the USDA guidelines and the Head Start/ Early Head Start nutritional standards and are prepared in-house in our kitchen. We also provide formula for infants who need it. 

What additional programs are available?

We love our parents too! In addition to caring for your children, we provide a variety of parent programs and supports, including:

    • Monthly parent engagement classes on topics such as nutrition, financial literacy, safety, kindergarten readiness and literacy supports for your child
    • Connections to resources available through the SWAG Family Resource Center
    • A family support facilitator and two Head Start family advocates who can meet with you one-on-one and provide any additional support 
    • Opportunities to volunteer in your child’s classroom
    • Fun parent events, like our annual Thanksgiving feast

Read the CHILD Center Parent Handbook here.

 

Read the Head Start/Early Head Start Family Handbook here.