Head Start & Early Head Start
This program is funded through the federal government and is for children who meet the age, income, and residency requirements. Head Start and Early Head Start support low-income families with early childhood education and comprehensive services (health, nutrition, family support, mental health and disability services) for children. Families must meet federal income guidelines for acceptance into the program and children must be age eligible for Early Head Start (ages 6 months to 3 years old) or Head Start (ages 3 to 5 years old). Each family is assigned a Family Advocate who builds a relationship with the family and completes a Family Development Plan with identified goals and also provides referrals to local agencies if needed. Home visits are completed by the Teacher and the Family Advocate.
Federal Head Start
This program is a full day/full year service completely funded by Head Start. This program is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm based on the parent’s working hours. No fees are charged in this program.
Head Start Wrap-Around
This program operates as Head Start with the early morning and late afternoon hours funded by Early Start CT. This program is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm based on the parent’s working hours and provides full year services. Some of the slots for this program are Head Start wrapped with State Head Start funding. The State Head Start funds combines supplemental funds with federal Head Start funds which enable Alliance to offer more slots, support program quality, expand services for children, and fill critical service gaps. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on family income.
Part Day Head Start
This program is a part day/full year service completely funded by Head Start. This program is open from 9 am to 1:50 pm. No fees are charged in this program.
Federal Early Head Start
This program is a part day/full year service completely funded by Early Head Start. The operating hours are from 9 am to 3 pm. No fees are charged in this program.
Early Head Start Wrap Around
This program operates as Early Head Start with the early morning and later afternoon hours funded by Early Start CT. This program is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm based on the parent’s working hours and provides full year services. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on family income.
Trauma Informed Therapeutic Care
This full day/full year preschool program, known as TLCC, provides full day/full year services to children impacted by the effects of abuse and/or neglect. Children/families must have an open case through the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and referred by their DCF Worker. The Alliance Family Advocate conducts home visits, referrals, and coordinates services with DCF. Families are mandated to participate in workshops/trainings, parenting classes, etc. A licensed clinician provides trauma-informed mental health and behavioral health services. Children enrolled in this program do not have a fee. This program combines federal Head Start funds with funding from the Department of Children and Families.
Early Start CT
This program is a state-funded early care and education program for children who meet the age, income and residency requirements. Early Start CT requires 60% of enrolled families must have an income that is at or below 75% of the state median income level. Early Start CT uses a standardized family co-pay scale to determine fees. An Outreach Worker is assigned to each family and his/her role is to provide referrals, promote family engagement, and follow up on attendance concerns. All Early Start CT programs operate from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm according to the parent / guardian’s hours.
Early Start CT Preschool: Children must be 3 to 5 years old (special approval required for children 2 years 8 months).
Early Start CT Infant / Toddler: Children must be 6 weeks to 3 years old.