Programs for Children

MNC has been the Delegate Agency for the National Head Start Program since 1969. The Mission Head Start Program provides a comprehensive parent participation, early childhood development, and multicultural program, which includes an appropriate bilingual curriculum for 3-5 year old children from low-income families. Currently, 340 children and their families participate in the Head Start program.

Children in the Mission Head Start Program are provided with an array of services including, as needed, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and classroom observations through culturally competent mental health specialists that assist teaching staff to implement appropriate developmental practices in the classroom.

Through their participation in Head Start, children learn the following:

• Increased Communication Skills in their own language & English
• Intellectual and Conceptual Skills
• Motor Ability/Use of Large and Small Muscles
• Nutrition Education
• Positive Self Image
• Problem Solving & Social Skills

MNC also provides a Full Day Care Program for working families or parents in job training and education programs. Through a collaborative project involving four community-based organizations, MNC as the lead agency, provides comprehensive support services that include all-day childcare, training, and mental health services to families transitioning from public assistance to self-sufficient activities. Our Families in Transition (FIT) program blends private, public, and State funding to provide seamless and coordinated social services to families in need of assistance as they transition from welfare to work.