Educational and social support services to assist parents with children birth to age five. Services include home-based early childhood education, home-based supportive services, group parenting meetings, developmental screening, and planned learning activities for children. Four-year-old free preschool program.

Early Development Network provides service coordination for children, birth to three years, with disabilities or special needs to access community services. Families are linked with developmental evaluations through the schools, Nebraska Health and Human Services programs, health resources, parent-to-parent support, and other supports and services as identified by the families' priorities.

Early Head Start ensures that children (0-3 years of age) and their families receive the academic, social, mental, health, and nutritional education they need.

Head Start prepares children for Kindergarten and beyond. Also meets the nutritional, health, social and mental health needs of children and their families.

Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age five, pregnant women and their families. The programs are child-focused and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.

Both programs provide a range of individualized services in the areas of education, medical, dental and mental health, nutrition and social service to children and their families. Parent involvement is encouraged and support is offered for children with disabilities.

Local school contacts in Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie and Sac Counties are listed below:

-- Audubon, Carroll, Coon Rapids: (712) 830-9442

-- Adel, Waukee: (515) 987-7428 or (712) 830-1327

-- Guthrie Center, Jefferson, Panora: (712) 830-6990

-- Rockwell City, Lytton, Sac City, Schaller, Crestland, Southern Cal: (712) 830-1326

-- Perry: (515) 238-2194

Offers preschool, day care, and after school programming.

Assists low-income children and families thorugh a continuum of care which includes academic tutoring, daycare services, emotional support, educational readiness, and computer techonology training services. All children enrolled in programs are assisgned and individualized educational plan (IEP) developed by teachers, parents, and other members of the school governing body.

Students enrolled in before and after school care benefit from the following services:
- Assistance with character development
- Assistance with creative expression
- Assistance with social skills development
- Assistance with physical and motor skills development

Administrative support to Head Start sites in ten counties and Early Head Start center based sites. Programs provide an educational preschool program for young children and their families and children with a disability.

Federally-funded early childhood development program to increase school readiness of young children in low-income families.

Head Start is Partnered with the following schools and districts:
-- Niobrara Public School North Hwy 12, Niobrara, NE 68760
-- Norfolk Public Schools 2500 West Norfolk Avenue, Norfolk, NE 68701
-- Wisner-Pilger Public School 801 18th Street, Wisner, NE 68791
-- Pender Public School 609 Whitney Street, Pender, NE 68047

Call NENCAP for information about Head Start; not the individual schools.