Child Inc and Head Start recognize that a young child needs a stable and secure home environment to be able to achieve maximum benefits from an early child development program.

Experience has shown that children are more likely to thrive when they live in a stable home where their needs are met.  To foster a supportive home environment, Child Inc provides family and social services support to families who demonstrate need, as indicated by client request or by staff identification of need, which may be based on the family needs assessment instrument or staff observation.

Families are offered support on a voluntary basis. This support covers a wide range of needs and services, such as housing, employment, mental or physical health of enrolled children’s parents or siblings, emergency food assistance and parenting education. While Child Inc is not funded to directly provide social services, it does provide short-term counseling and problem identification, referral to community resources, and follow-up to ensure families have received those services.

Enrolled families have immediate access to family support staff through Family Advocates assigned to our child development centers and school collaboration sites, or through visiting teachers working with parents in the home. These direct service staff members are supported by the Family Services division in our administrative offices.

All family support work is provided with total confidentiality.

This department also maintains a directory of local service providers, and distributes community event and service information to staff to share with parents.