Are you pregnant or do you have a child under three years of age? If so, you may be eligible to receive services that benefit both you and your child.

Laurel Health System’s Bradford-Tioga Head Start is offering Early Head Start FREE to pregnant women and the parents of children, ages birth to three years, who meet income guidelines. Funded by the federal government, Early Head Start is a home-based program which utilizes one-on-one interaction with parents to further their child’s development.

Current research in brain development shows that high-quality parent-child interaction in the earliest months of a child’s life builds the neurological connections that support learning, thought, language, relationships, and creativity. Babies and toddlers need parents who connect with them through words, looks, touch, cuddles, stories, and songs. Having fun together is good for both parent and child.

An Early Head Start program Family Partner serves as a personal teacher for each family, meeting weekly with parents to discuss the growth and development of the child. The weekly visits take place year-round. In addition, the Family Partner provides activities that nurture the child’s development and information on proper nutrition, medical visits, and immunizations. Parents of children with special needs are linked to agencies that provide these services.

Twice monthly, eight to ten families will hold group meetings. At the meetings, the parents have the opportunity to take part in fun activities with their children and interact with the other parents and children.

Early Head Start is an exciting new opportunity for parents to get reliable information about their child’s growth and development and to build an informal support network with other young families. All parents, whether they are first-time parents or have older children, usually look for information, help, support, and reassurance. Early Head Start can provide both the formal parent education and the informal parent support that parents of young children need and want.

When the child becomes three years old, he or she may be eligible to enter the Bradford-Tioga Head Start preschool program. Head Start preschoolers, ages three to five, attend four half-day sessions, Monday through Thursday, September through May, at one of 13 classrooms in Tioga and Bradford Counties. Head Start services include preschool activities, nutritious snacks and lunches, medical and dental examinations, hearing and vision screenings, and immunizations. Transportation to and from the program is provided.

For information on Early Head Start, call Bradford-Tioga Head Start at (570) 638-1400 or 800-808-LAUREL (5287).