The California State Preschool Program is the largest state-funded preschool program in the nation. The program provides both part-day and full-day services to eligible three- and four-year-old children. The California State Preschool Program provides a core class curriculum that is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children served. The program also provides meals and snacks to children, parent education, and referrals to health and social services for families.
The General Child Care and Development Program is a state funded program that uses centers and family child care home networks to provide an educational component that is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for children from birth through 12 years of age. The program also provides meals and snacks to children, parent education, and referrals to health and social services for families.
Head Start is a federally funded community-based program for children age 3 to 5 that encourages the role of parents as their child’s first and most important teachers. The Head Start program builds relationships with families that support positive parent-child relationships, family well-being, and connections to peers and community. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services.
Early Head Start is a federally funded community-based program that enhances the development of very young children birth to age 3 and promotes health family functioning. EHS programs enhance children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development, support parents’ efforts to fulfill their parental roles, and help parents move toward self-sufficiency.