Early Learning Programs

This program is a full day service completely funded by Head Start and eligible families must meet Federal Income Guidelines. Children must be between the ages of 3-5. Families have no fees in this program. Each family will have a Family Worker who will develop a relationship with the family as a case manager. Family Development Plans and home visits will be completed yearly. Referrals to agencies to assist families will be offered. Hours are 7:30 am to 5:30 pm for full day/full year services based on parents’ working hours.

Family must meet Federal Income Guidelines for acceptance into the program. Families have no fees in this program. A typical day begins at 9 am and operates until 1:50 pm. The program operates from September until June and is available for children between the ages of 3-5. Each family will have a Family Worker who will develop a relationship with the family as a case manager. Family Development Plans and home visits will be completed yearly. Referrals to agencies to assist families will be offered.

This is a full day/part year program operating from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm based on the parents’ working hours. The Lucille Johnson site will operate on a full day/part year schedule. The family will need to meet Federal Income Guidelines for acceptance. The parent(s) or guardian may be in the workforce or in school/training. A fee is assessed based on a sliding fee scale. Each family will have a Family Worker who will develop a relationship with the family as a case manager. Family Development Plans and home visits will be accomplished yearly. Referrals to agencies to assist families will be offered.

These classrooms are operated as Head Start classrooms with the early morning hours, late afternoon hours, and summer hours funded by Department of Social Services, State of Connecticut. These services are the same as Extended Day. A fee is assessed based on a sliding fee scale.

This program is funded by the Department of Education, State of Connecticut funding, and is available for Bridgeport residents or families working in Bridgeport. Families must have income within 75% of the state median income. Parent(s) or guardian may be in the workforce or in school. A fee is assessed based on family income. Hours are 7:30 am-5:30 pm (6:00 am-6:00 pm only at Jaime A. Hulley) based on parents’ working hours. A full year Family Outreach Worker is assigned to each School Readiness family for the purpose of providing emergency and education-related referrals, promoting family engagement, and following up on attendance concerns.

This extended day School Readiness funding enables Head Start family to enroll their child into a full day/full year program. A fee is assessed based on a sliding fee scale.

This full day/full year program is for working parents or parents attending school. There is a sliding scale used to determine family fees based on their income. A full year Family Outreach Worker is assigned to each Day Care/Infant and Toddler family for the purpose of providing emergency and education-related referrals, promoting family engagement, and following up on attendance concerns. This program accepts children between the ages of 6 months (6 weeks for teen parents at Harding location) up to 3 years of age.

This program is designed for children who have suffered the effects of abuse and/or neglect and are open cases through the Department of Children and Families. A referral from the program’s DCF liaison is required for possible acceptance into this program. A Family Worker provides home visits, referrals, and coordination of services between Alliance for Community Empowerment and DCF. Families are mandated to become involved by attending workshops, trainings, etc. These families have no fee. Therapeutic play therapy is provided to the children enrolled in TLCC. Team members include psychological consultant, teaching staff, Family Worker and supervisory staff.

This program provides services for children ages 6 months up to 3 years of age. For teen parents attending the Harding High School program, children are eligible from 6 weeks to 3 years of age. Hours at Harding are 7:00am -4:00pm. Families must meet Federal Income Guidelines for acceptance into the program. A Family Worker is assigned to each family. There is a sliding fee assigned to families based on extended day provided by DSS funding. Hours are 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. Some Early Head Start classrooms operate from 9 am to 3 pm, which do not have a family fee.

The Early Head Start Home Based Program option supports children and their families through weekly home visits and group socialization experiences. Early Head Start home visits provide comprehensive services to support and strengthen the relationship between infants, toddlers and their parents. This is a free program.