Early Head Start Program

Prenatal to 3 Years

Contact Person
Anabel Garcia
Coordinator
Phone: 831.755.0310

The Early Head Start Program serves qualifying pregnant women, infants, and toddlers by providing support services that promote child and family development through home visits and center-based services. This program also serves infants and toddlers with disabilities conducted in partnership with the Monterey County Office of Education Early Intervention Program and other school districts. In addition, Early Head Start implements services through the CAL-SAFE program operated through the Salinas Union High School District. CAL-SAFE keeps pregnant teenage girls in school, provides quality child care for their infants and toddlers, and offers parenting education opportunities.

Home-based Educators are stationed throughout the county and work with families during the year. The main role of the Educator are to build and maintain trusting individualized relationships with parents stressing the importance of "parent as first teacher" through support, guidance and role modeling. In each visit, the Educator engages the parent in understanding child development, pre-literacy, language development, assessment, parent modeling, health, mental health, and nutrition.