There are nineteen (19) Head Start Centers; five (5) located at elementary school sites and eight (8) located at Orange County Community Centers. Orange County Head Start services are delivered in a variety of settings, such as: Family Service Centers, school campuses, public housing, and faith-based organizations . Following is a brief description of the primary service delivery strategies.

• School-Based Head Start Classrooms are located at several Orange County public schools. These classrooms are an integral part of the elementary school. Children have opportunities to socialize with older children at meal times in the school cafeteria.
• Before/After Care is a full day program option implemented at a designated Head Start location or childcare sites. Before/After Care is available to children whose parents are working full time, in training or attending school.

Male Partnership

Head Start recognizes and promotes parents as the primary educators. Males are especially important, since the majority of Head Start children are living in one-parent households. In 1995, Orange County Head Start implemented the Male Partnership Project (MPP). The mission of the Male Partnership Project is to increase the participation of fathers and other significant males in the Head Start Program through projects, programs, and activities designed to increase resiliency in the male population.  For more information e-mail Luis Simonetti   or Charles Martinez the Volunteer Partnership Coordinators.

Family Literacy

Orange County Head is a Reading Is Fundamental Family of Readers program, a reading motivational program for children and families.  This program provides a family reading component to Head Start Families.  In this program parents learn about children's books, participate in skills workshops on such topics as how to read aloud to children and how to choose age-appropriate books for children.  Parents are encouraged to participate in the program by planning activities and serving on committees.  Every Orange County Head Start child receives three free books of their own choosing at special book events throughout the year.  A classroom lending library encourages family reading by giving the parents easy access to high-quality children's books.

The Blue Bag Book Club is a family literacy program in collaboration with community partner, the Adult Literacy League.  The program is at selected Head Start sites.  Blue take-home bags are filled with books, activities and materials to promote family reading and literacy activities.

Community partner, the Orange County Library System, provides storytellers to the Head Start classrooms every year.  Friends of the Library, the library volunteer group, provide the Head Start children with a free book when the storytellers visit the centers.

Orange County Head Start partners with the Orlando Museum of Art to bring literacy and the arts to Head Start children and families.  Every summer the museum hosts an exhibition featuring children's book illustrators.  A classroom curriculum is developed based on a book by the illustrator.  Teacher training, activity kits, and educational tours of the exhibit, as well as family passes to the museum provide staff, children and families with a unique opportunity to experience art and literacy.

Guest Readers Week is held annually during October Head Start Awareness Month at all Orange County Head Start centers.  Community partners, residents, volunteers, service providers, staff and parents are invited to read to the children.  For more information please contact Linda Williams, Education Coordinator at Linda.Williams@ocfl.net.

Foster Grandparents

The Foster Grandparent Program plays a vital role in the Head Start classroom. A Foster Grandparent is placed in each classroom. The foster grandparent provides children with a warm, friendly smile and the extra daily attention and support. The foster grandparent is often a senior citizen, which helps diffuse ageism and promotes the concept of productive aging among Head Start families and the community. For more information contact the Community & Family Partnerships Program Manager.

Transition

The Orange County Head Start Transition Program was established to ensure effective transitions of all Head Start children and families as they move from home, childcare or school into a different setting or program. The following transition collaborative partnerships include: Orange County Public Schools, Community Coordinated Care for Children (4C), and United Cerebral Palsy. For more information e-mail Eileen Orleman, Transition Coordinator.

Safety Village Partnership with Orange County Head Start

The Orange County Sheriffs Department operates the Children's Safety Village located at 910 Fairvilla Road Orlando.  Orange County Head Start has partnered the Safety Village for many years.  The children tour the Village and visit the pool for swimming safety.  They then were given a demonstration on buckling up safely with their family in the car.  The children practice crossing the "street" with the light for pedestrian safety.  The Village has a house set up for Fire Safety and also poison awareness. The past three years the Safety Village has performed a puppet show for the children.  The puppet show entertains the children and also discusses Gun Safety, Fire Safety, Pool Safety.  The children then get a lesson from one of the Officers talking to them about stranger danger and calling 911.