Head Start

Head Start Program Fond du Lac

Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children's growth in the following domains:

Language and literacy
Cognition and general knowledge
Physical development and health
Social and emotional development
Approaches to learning

Head Start programs provide comprehensive services to enrolled children and their families, which include health, nutrition, social, and other services determined to be necessary by family needs assessments, in addition to education and cognitive development services. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.

Program options:

Center based Head Start

Services are provided to 3 and 4 year old children in a classroom setting. Children attend classes in centers 1/2 day, 4 days a week. Transportation is provided to and from school for most of the service area with some exceptions. Children receive at least 2 meals each day. Each classroom is staffed with a teacher and an assistant teacher.

Celebrating 50 Years

4 Year Old Kindergarten

ADVOCAP Head Start partners with the school districts of Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac, Ripon and Berlin to provide four year old kindergarten (4K) programming at the Head Start Centers. Children receive 4K services and Head Start services for a full day program, 4 days a week, all at the same location.

Parent Engagement

Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher. Parent and family engagement in Head Start is about building relationships with families that support:

Family well-being and positive parent-child relationships;
Families as learners and lifelong educators;
Family engagement in transitions;
Family connections to peers and community; and
Families as advocates and leaders.

Head Start Centers

ADVOCAP
19 W. First Street
Fond du Lac, WI 54936

First Presbyterian
1225 Fourth St. Rd.
Fond du Lac, WI 54935

North Fond du Lac Early Learning Center
923 Minnesota Avenue
North Fond du Lac, WI 54937

Prairie View Head Start Center
W911 Highway 44
Markesan, WI 53946

All Saints Catholic School
151 S. Grove St.
Berlin, WI 54923

Barlow Park Elementary School
100 Ringstad Dr
Ripon, WI 53971

Community Resources

Successful partnerships within the community bring together the resources of all agencies and programs to best meet child and family needs. Families are provided with a resource directory to guide them in securing community resources.

Volunteer Opportunities

Head Start uses volunteers to the fullest extent possible. Special efforts are made to have volunteer participation, especially parents, in the classroom, in program governance and in program assessment.