Child Development

Head Start™
Formal studies have demonstrated that children who have attended Head Start ™enter kindergarten “ready to learn” and perform significantly better throughout the school years than their counterparts who did not attend Head Start™.
For more information on enrollment contact 1-800-622-8340 or contact your local county SIEDA Head Start Center.

Advocating for Head Start

SIEDA Head Start™ is a preschool experience for low-income and disabled children 3-5 years of age. Head Start™ is a holistic approach to early childhood education that addresses not only the educational needs of the children but also the health, nutrition, social, mental health and literacy needs as well. Multi-cultural classrooms serve children who are unable to speak English or speak English as a secondary language.

Children attend preschool classes four days a week. Meals and snacks are served. In addition to the classroom activities, children and their parents take part in field trips to expose them to educational and cultural activities in their communities.
Formal studies have demonstrated that children who have attended Head Start ™enter kindergarten "ready to learn" and perform significantly better throughout the school years than their counterparts who did not attend Head Start™ Applications for Head Start™ are taken throughout the year. 
Why should Head Start™ be your first choice? No Fees! SIEDA Head Start is a federally funded preschool program, so there is no cost to you!!! Our classes are 4 days a week and available to children ages 3 to 5.Transportation is available in each county. Stops are provided in each county. We offer bi-lingual classroom environments. We work closely with AEA and other special needs preschools to provide individualized services, for children with special needs.

What You Need to Fill Out an Application:
Child’s birth verification (Birth Certificate, Title 19 #/Medical Card, Hospital Certificate, or Passport).
Proof of income for at least 12 previous months (copy of pay stub, taxes, W-2, letter from employer, FIP, or other form of verification).

Links of Interest:

Appanoose County Head Start

 Iowa Head Start Association

Iowa Department of Education

Parents As Teachers (PAT)

Parents As Teachers (PAT) provides parent education and family support to families throughout pregnancy until their child enters kindergarten, usually age 5.

Parents are supported by PAT-certified Parent Educators trained to translate scientific information on early brain development into specific when, what, how, and why advice and support for families. PAT Parent Educators are also Certified Family Development Specialists able to help strengthen the family as a unit.

By understanding what to expect at each stage of development, parents can easily capture the teachable moments in everyday life to enhance their child's language development, intellectual growth, social development and motor skills.

Parents As Teachers involves 4 components:

Personal Visits: Personalized home visits by certified Parent Educators help parents understand what to expect in each stage of their child’s development. The Parent Educators offer practical tips and activities on ways to encourage school readiness, early literacy, manage challenging behavior, and promote strong parent-child relationships. The program teaches parents simple techniques, based on scientific research that will stimulate the brain development of their child.

Group Meetings: Parents get together monthly to gain new insights and to share their experiences, common concerns and successes. Group meetings provide families the opportunity to participate in parent-child activities, observe their child interacting with other children, and meet new families!

Screening: PAT offers periodic screening of overall development as well as health, safety, language, hearing, vision and dental screening. The goal is to provide early detection of potential problems to prevent difficulties later in school.

Resource Network: Families can access other early childhood services integrated with the PAT program as well as get assistance in linking/referring families to community services that are beyond the scope of PAT.

PAT is offered in Appanoose, Davis, Lucas and Monroe Counties through a collaboration between 4 Counties For Kids Early Childhood Iowa Area, SIEDA and SCICAP Community Action Agencies. For more information, contact  PAT Program Manager, Marian Lagerstrom via email or at 641-932-5901.

The Parents As Teachers program is based on the national curriculum of the National Center for Parents As Teachers in St. Louis. All home visitors have attended training at the National Center and are certified PAT Educators.
There are no income guidelines for participation in the Parents As Teachers program.

The PAT program is available in Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska & Wapello counties through a collaboration with Wapello/Mahaska Early Childhood Iowa Area and AIM Early Childhood Iowa Area.
For further information email Jeff Hasley, PAT Program Manager, or contact her at (641) 682-8741 or 1-800-622-8340

Adult Literacy Advocacy
Parents of children enrolled in the Head Start program who cannot read or read at a lower grade level are provided assistance in attending literacy courses. The Adult Literacy Coordinators work with parents who are unable to read, who read at a low grade level or who have failed to complete their high school education. The Coordinators, each with a teaching degree and reading endorsement, provide individual tutoring in the home for the parents. For those parents lacking a high school degree, the Coordinators work individually with the parent until the parent has reached a level where they are comfortable transferring to the GED classes conducted by the local community college.
Parents are encouraged to continue their education beyond high school. To support the parents, the Coordinators accompany the parents to the college campus, provide tours of the campus and assist the parent in completing the college application and applications\ for scholarships.
The ability of a family to access services rests heavily on their ability to provide their own transportation in rural areas. The program has re-written the Driver’s License Manual for a 3rd grade level to assist parents in studying for the Driver’s License Test.
The program serves Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren & Wapello counties.
For further information contact SIEDA Adult Literacy at (641) 682-8741 or 1-800-622-8340.

Parenting Workshops
A family-friendly, three-session Parenting Skills Workshop is offered in Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren & Wapello counties. The Workshops are open to all parents and extended family members within the area. Local court systems and the local Department of Human Services routinely refer high-risk families to the Workshop as an intervention strategy in preventing potential abuse or neglect.
Workshop Curriculum

SESSION #1
Positive Discipline & Guidance
Parenting Skills Survey
Why Children Misbehave
Setting Rules And Boundaries
Behavior Consequences
Using Logical Consequences
Time-Outs
Positive Guidance Techniques
Coping with Kids

SESSION #2
Anger & Stress Management
Anger & Stress Management
What Is Stress?
Stress Management
What is Anger?
Ways To Positively Express Anger
Children And Anger

SESSION #3
Spending Quality Time With Your Child
What Is Quality Time?
Spending Enough Quality Time With Your Child
Barriers To Spending Quality Time
Taming The TV
Say "Yes" To Family Meals
Parent/Child Activities
Too Much TV
There are no fees or income guidelines for participation in the Parenting Skills Workshops.
Parenting Workshops are available in Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren & Wapello counties.
For further information contact SIEDA Head Start™ at (641) 682-8741 or 1-800-622-8340.

Child and Adult Care Food Program
SIEDA operates the Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) in the area. Registered child care providers are eligible to enroll in the program. Day Care Providers are provided with nutrition education and submit monthly menus to assure that meals and snacks follow standard nutrition guidelines. Providers also plan nutrition act ivies for the children in their care, which helps prepare young children to make healthy food choices for the rest of their lives. Providers are provided with partial reimbursement for the cost of the meals and snacks as a result of participating in the program.
The program is available in Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Marion, Van Buren & Wapello counties.
For further information contact SIEDA Child and Adult Care Food Program at (641) 682-8741 or 1-800-622-8340.

Research Findings
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics offers more proof that early care and education experiences are a critical part of future school success. Findings showed:
Children who participated in regular early care and education arrangements the year prior to kindergarten scored higher on the reading and mathematics assessments than children who had no regular experience in early care and education the year prior to entering kindergarten.
Children who participated in regular early care and education arrangements the year prior to kindergarten scored higher on the fine motor skill assessments than children who had no regular early care and education the year prior to entering kindergarten.
About four out of five (83.2 percent) participated in a regular non-parental early care and education arrangement the year before kindergarten.