Enrollment

Service Area
Grant County Head Start conducts recruitment for the Pregnancy to Three Program within the city limits of Moses Lake, Quincy, Ephrata and Soap Lake. Children from outside those city limits may apply depending upon the parent or the school district’s willingness to transport child if necessary.

Eligibility
An individual and their family is eligible if pregnant, or has child 3 years of age or younger, and meet the Federal criteria for low income. The standard for a family of two (Single parent with one child) is $ 12,490 per year. If this particular family pays rent of $500 per month, nearly half of their total income would be used up in rent, and the remaining $6,490 would have to cover groceries, diapers, fuel/transportation, laundry, and every other need that families have. Families who qualify for Head Start: P-3 are very low income.

In our county, many families qualify as low income. For that reason, priority is given to families who face certain risks or difficulties, including teen or very young parents, families with housing concerns, women who are currently pregnant, Parent’s education is less than a high school graduate or equivalent, those with language barriers who speak something other than English, and those with special needs (handicapping conditions).

Recruitment is conducted via word of mouth, DSHS is asked to notify TANF eligible families and news releases and ads are placed in local newspapers, flyers, and TV spots. Active recruitment occurs year round as the waiting list is depleted. Referrals are solicited from social service agencies including Maternity Case Management, Birth to Three (or other special services), the lead agency for Family Resource Coordination, doctor’s offices, and DCFS. Families are often also referred via word of mouth from relatives and friends who are receiving services and recommend it to others. The parents are requested to submit immunization information, income verification and a birth certificate prior to enrollment.