Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth through five 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; and approaches to learning.  
  
Head Start also provides comprehensive services which include health, nutrition, social and other services determined as necessary via family needs assessments. Services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Services are provided through a variety of service models including: centers or schools that children attend part or full day, family childcare homes and/or the children's own homes wherein a Head Start staff visit once per week to provide in-home services. Children who receive home-based services gather periodically with other enrolled families for group learning experiences facilitated by Head Start staff.  
  
Contra Costa County submits an application annually to U.S. Health and Human Services Department, Administration for Children and Families as the Head Start grantee. The annual application includes newly identified goals and objectives for the program. The board approved submission of the 2016 Head Start grantee application on August 18, 2015. The 2016 grantee application already reflects the reduced number of childcare slots. This board order seeks approval to begin the slot reduction effective November 1, 2015. This action is being sought due to the increased cost of doing business.  
  
The current funding per Head Start slot is $9,912 whereas the average funding per slot for the San Francisco Bay Area is $10,300. The reduction will allow the department to absorb the increased cost of providing childcare. Children currently receiving care in these slots will be funded by a different funding source (California Department of Education, Part-day State Preschool funding) thereby avoiding displacement of children and staff. This action was approved by the Contra Costa County Head Start Policy Council on August 19, 2015 and by the the federal Administration for Children and Families on October 8, 2015.  

The Community Services Bureau of the Employment & Human Services Department’s Head Start program supports three of Contra Costa County’s community outcomes - Outcome 1: “Children Ready for and Succeeding in School,” Outcome 3: “Families that are Economically Self-sufficient,” and, Outcome 4: “Families that are Safe, Stable, and Nurturing.” These outcomes are achieved by offering comprehensive services, including high quality early childhood education, nutrition, and health services to low-income children throughout Contra Costa County.