Keystone Human Services

Keystone Children & Family Services

Capital Area Head Start: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is Capital Area Head Start (CAHS) and where did it originate?
  2. What are the services that CAHS provide?
  3. What does CAHS curriculum consist of?
  4. What makes CAHS successful?
  5. Could you provide some statistics to prove Head Start's success?
  6. How is CAHS funded?
  7. Where are the other centers in Pennsylvania located?
  8. Are there other Head Start facilities located in the country?
  9. Have there been any new developments since CAHS started and what are they?
  10. What are some of the criteria's for enrollment?
  11. Who do we contact for enrollment?
  12. How do parents benefit from CAHS?
  13. What do parents say about CAHS?
  14. Are there employment opportunities?
  15. How can we help?
1. What is Capital Area Head Start (CAHS) and where did it originate?
Capital Area Head Start is a comprehensive child development program serving over 700 children, ranging from birth (Early Head Start) right up to school age - five years old, and their families in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties.
Keystone Service Systems, Inc. DBA Capital Area Head Start became the Head Start grantee for Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties in 1988. Since that time, the program has grown from 245 families to over 800. Throughout the sixteen-year history, the program has held a firm commitment to developing and providing comprehensive services to meet the needs of children and families in the community. These comprehensive services cover health, education and disabilities, mental health, parent involvement and social services. Capital Area Head Start provides home based, center based, and childcare program options for pregnant women and children birth through ten years of age. Programs for specialized populations have been developed and operate as well. These include, but are not limited to, programming for teen parents, incarcerated mothers and/or fathers, families experiencing homelessness, and children with disabilities. ↑
2. What are the services that CAHS provide?
Part Day Preschool Services
Children enrolled in a part day preschool program attend four half-days a week from September through June. Families receive four home visits and two conferences per year. Preschool services provided at Harrisburg School District sites operate five 5-hour days a week on a year round basis. Families also receive four home visits and two conferences per year. Childcare is provided by local childcare providers on site before and after school for families working or in training.
Childcare Services
Childcare services are provided to children ranging in age from 6 weeks to five years for families whose parents are working, are in job training, or are attending school. Children attend the program for full days throughout the entire year. Two home visits and two parent-child conferences are held.
Home Based Services
Families with children enrolled in a Head Start Home Based program receive three home visits per month and the parent and child attend weekly socialization days with other families. Preschool home based services operate from September to June. Birth to three or Early Head Start home based services operate year round. These families receive weekly home visits and bi-weekly family (socialization) days.
Early Head Start
The Early Head Start program serves children from birth to age three, these services include a preschool program available in educational centers or at home, and childcare services in the community. These children attend preschool four half-days a week from September to June and families receive four home visits and two conferences per year. This program also provides three home visits per month and the parent and the child attend weekly socialization days. ↑
3. What does CAHS curriculum consist of?
Planning around children's interests, strengths and developmental needs
Regular observation and on-going educational assessment
Hands-on interactive learning
Language and literacy enrichment
A variety of materials and equipment
Safe, organized, child-friendly environment
Individualized Programming
Sensory exploration
Problem Solving
Adult support
Consistent daily routine
Responsive, relationship-based caregiving  ↑
4. What makes CAHS successful?
Comprehensive services
Federal Head Start performance standards that are monitored annually
Services that meet the needs of individual children and families as well as the needs of the local communities ↑
5. Could you provide some statistics to prove Head Start's success?
National enrollment went from 561,000 in 1965 to 822,316 in 1998 and then to 912,345 in 2002.
Today, there are 1,513 programs across the country.
13% of the enrollment consists of children with disabilities.
29% of Head Start staff are former parents.
55% of Head Start families have annual incomes of less than $9,000.00.
1,450,000 people so far have volunteered their time to Head Start.
A 1997 nationwide research finding indicated that:
  • Head Start classroom quality is good.
  • Head Start children are ready for school.
  • Program quality is linked to child performance.
  • Head Start families are involved despite the challenges.↑
6. How is CAHS funded?
CAHS is a federally-funded program and in 1998 Federal Head Start budget was 4.6 billion. Today the budget stands at 6.6 billion (2003). ↑
7. Where are the other centers in Pennsylvania located?
Head Start programs are available in 65 Counties in the State of Pennsylvania. In covering Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry Counties, CAHS has 23 centers which includes Home Base, Child Care and Early Head Start programs. ↑
8. Are there other Head Start facilities located in the country?
There are Head Start facilities available in all 51 states in the United States of America. More information is available from http://www.paheadstart.org. ↑
9. Have there been any new developments since CAHS started and what are they?
Since 2002, CAHS has partnered with the Harrisburg School District and local child care providers to operate early childhood classrooms in elementary schools in Harrisburg. The Harrisurg Preschool Program (HPP), now in its fifth year, comprises 35 classrooms throughout the District, in which children aged 3 and 4 receive high quality, comprehensive preschool and family support within a public school setting. Community child care providers offer before and after school care for children of working parents to supplement the 5-hour instructional day. With 16 children and 2 teachers per classroom, the program offers maximum opportunity for individualizing for the success of all students. The program is funded by several sources. Head Start State Supplemental Assistance Program and PA Pre K Counts funds, as well as Federal Head Start monies and the Harrisburg School District operating budget, all provide significant funding. Businesses and community organizations provide additional support in recognition of the great benefits to the community that high quality preschool can provide.
Another noteworthy initiative has been the successful partnership between Dr. Mark Greenberg of the Penn State University Prevention Research Center and Capital Area Head Start. A Head Start/University Partnership Grant was received to design a preschool version of Dr. Greenberg's social-emotional curriculum called Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS). The first year was spent designing the curriculum for preschoolers, the second year was spent conducting research on the efficacy of the curriculum, and the third year PATHS was implemented program wide. Preliminary reports demonstrate that the curriculum is effective in helping young children develop alternatives to aggressive behavior.
A grant has been awarded from The PNC Foundation for the "2004 PNC Grow Up Great Head Start Demonstration Project". The participation of CAHS is part of PNC's ten-year, $100 million investment in school readiness. This grant will strengthen and supplement the program's focus on social and emotional development. CAHS will use funds for training/mentoring of staff and parents, to develop a PATHS video for parents, to bring trained service dogs into the classroom, to add materials to the indoor/outdoor environment and curriculum, and to implement transition to school activities with community childcare providers and families. CAHS will work primarily with the Harrisburg School District, Penn State Prevention Research Center, Susquehanna Service Dogs, and Keystone Children and Family Services. ↑
10. What are some of the criteria's for enrollment?
Income guidelines (CAHS follow the poverty guidelines). CAHS do accept over-income families, only when there are no income eligible families available. Our Child Care centers are the main ones who accept over-income families, but this has to be approved.
At the Harrisburg School District - CAHS only accept under-income families for the REACH program.
CAHS go by the "needs of the families" and this is a point system - it is not by "first come, first served".
If a family has cash assistance or gets SSI, they are automatically eligible for the Head Start program. ↑
11. Who do we contact for enrollment?
We have enrollment specialists specially prepared and geared towards answering all your questions. They can also perform enrollments over the telephone, where you are placed on a waiting list until a suitable space is available for you. ↑
12. How do parents benefit from CAHS?
Helping to get parents out of crisis and stabilizes the family.
Promotes positive parent self-esteem and develops leadership skills.
Facilitates parent literacy, employment, and self-sufficiency.
Many parents enroll in High School Equivalency courses and Job Training programs while their children are enrolled in Head Start.
100% of our Head Start parents volunteer in the program which translates into valuable job training experience.
Fact: 25% of the paid staff at CAHS have been parents in the program. ↑
13. What do parents say about CAHS?
"The Head Start staff really takes an interest in not only my child but also my family and we really appreciate their concern."
"Good Job!" "Well Done!" "My child is much more confident."
"We are extremely pleased with our child's progress and the overall professionalism of the staff." ↑
14. Are there employment opportunities?
There are various employment opportunities at Capital Area Head Start.
Both entry level positions and professional positions are available.
We offer competitive salaries and benefits.
We also offer on the job training, including college courses on site. ↑
15. How can we help?
Schedule a Head Start speaker at your community or church group.
Volunteer your time.
"Adopt" a Head Start Center.
Assist with one of our many initiatives.
Work with one of our many parent groups.
Make a donation for a special project or a holiday gift for a child. ↑
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This page last updated on:
December 4, 2007