NC Head Start Collaboration Office

North Carolina Head Start Association in Collaboration with NC Head Start collaboration Office

Macy Jones

Head Start Collaboration Coordinator

Head Start is a federally funded, comprehensive preschool program designed to meet the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs of children aged 3 to 5 and their families. Head Start helps develop social competencies in children and promotes self-sufficiency through a comprehensive The Office of Early Learning houses the NC Head Start State Collaboration Office (NC HSSCO) through a grant from the federal Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Head Start supports collaboration through grants to states to create a visible partnership at the state level to support the development of multi-agency and public/private partnerships that will enhance early childhood services for children and families. Collaboration of Head Start programs with the state-funded pre-kindergarten program is one of the highest priorities of the Head Start State Collaboration Office. Despite its federal-to-local program structure, Head Start recognizes that the states play an important role in the formulation and implementation of policies and initiatives that affect low income children and their families.

Macy Jones
Head Start Collaboration Coordinator
Office of Early Learning
Division of Standards, Accountability, and Research
NC Department of Public Instruction
[email protected]

NC Head Start-State Collaborative

The Office of Early Learning houses the NC Head Start-State Collaboration Office (NC HSSCO) through a federal grant from the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Head Start recognizes that the States play an important role in the formulation and implementation of policies and initiatives that affect low income children and their families. As such, the NC Head Start-State Collaboration Office and its connection to education in the State is viewed as vital to such policy development and application.

Six Federal Priorities for Head Start-State Collaboration Offices

Since 1990, the Office of Head Start has supported collaboration through grants to States to create greater visibility of Head Start at the State level, leading to the development of multi-agency and public/private partnerships that enhance early childhood services for low-income and other at-risk children and families. Head Start-State Collaboration Offices pursue six federal priorities that focus on coordinating Head Start services with other State and local initiatives including:

Partner with state child care systems emphasizing the Early Head Start – Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnership Initiatives
Work with state efforts to collect data regarding early childhood programs and child outcomes
Support the expansion and access of high quality, workforce, and career development opportunities for staff
Collaboration with State Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS)
Work with state school systems to ensure continuity between Head Start and Kindergarten Entrance Assessment (KEA)
Any additional regional priorities such as health services, disability services, and children and families experiencing homelessness.

North Carolina Head Start Clusters

Cluster A

Choanoke Area Development Association
Coastal Community Action
Duplin County Schools PreK
East Coast Migrant Head Start Project
Economic Improvement Council
Greene Lamp
Nash Edgecombe Economic Development
New Hanover County Schools
One Place Onslow
Onslow County Board of Education
Pender County Schools
Wayne Action Group for Economic Solvency

Cluster B

East Coast Migrant Head Start Project
Action Pathways
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District
Durham Partnership for Children
Families and Communities Rising
Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity
Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action
Person County Schools
Southeastern Community Action Partnership, Inc
Telamon Corporation

Cluster C

Alliance Center for Education
Child Care Resources
Children & Families First
Cleveland County Partnership for Children
Cleveland County Schools
Family Services of Forsyth
Gaston Community Action
I-CARE
Kannapolis City School District
Rockingham County Schools
Salisbury Rowan Community Action Agency
Save the Children
Union County Community Action
YVEDDI

Cluster E

I-CARE
Alexander County Head Start
Blue Ridge Community Action
Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission
Catawba County Schools
Community Action Opportunities
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Four Square Community Action
Intermountain Children’s Services
Macon Program for Progress
McDowell County Board of Education
Mountain Projects
Polk County Schools
Rutherford County Board of Education
The Enola Group
Verner Center for Early Learning
Western Carolina Community Action