Pender County Schools Preschool Program
                            210 East Fremont Street
                                Burgaw, NC 28425
              phone (910) 259-7603 / fax (910) 259-7606


Pender County Schools Preschool / Head Start program is a comprehensive child development and family focused program that serves three and four year-old children and their families. It is a child-focused program with the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of children. Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional and social services to enrolled children and families.

Head Start grantees and/or delegate agencies provide a range of individualized services in the areas of education and early childhood development: dental and mental health; nutrition; and parent involvement. All programs must adhere to the Head Start Program Performance Standards. The Head Start Program Performance Standards define the services that Head Start programs are to provide to the children and families that they serve. The Head Start Program Performance Standards and other information may be found at www.headstartinfo.org and www.ncheadstart.org.

Pender County Preschool Head Start Program participates in the More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program under the direction of the North Carolina Office of School Readiness. The Office of School Readiness provides funding, academic standards and curriculum, collaboration, professional development, teacher licensure (nonpublic schools), technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation to support public schools and child care centers in providing high-quality pre-kindergarten. The Office of School Readiness strengthens collaboration among early childhood agencies and programs at the state and local levels, including the public schools, child care, Smart Start, the Division of Child Development, NC Early Intervention Services, Head Start, and other programs toward our common goal of school success for all children.

The definition of “school readiness” in North Carolina is:
  ·  The condition of children when they enter school, based on the five domains
      of   development: 
         
          1)  Health and physical development
          2)  Social and emotional development 
          3)  Approaches to learning 
          4)  Language development and communication 
          5)  Cognition and general knowledge

Pender County Schools Preschool Head Start Program oversees the operation of six four- or five- star sites across the county:

          1)  Burgaw Elementary School – 5-star
          2)  Cape Fear Community College campus – 4-star
          3)  Malpass Corner Elementary School – 4-star
          4)  North Topsail Elementary School – 4-star
          5)  Pender High School campus – 4-star
          6)  Rocky Point Primary School – 4-star

Children that are three- or four- years old on or before August 31 are eligible to apply for the Pender County Schools Preschool Head Start Program. Our grant funds have mandated we prioritize 4 year old children for enrollment because this is the year before Kindergarten.

 How to Apply:

Application packets are available at all Elementary Schools, the Board of Education, and the Preschool Administration Office. In addition to the application packet families need to provide the following documentation to complete your application:

• Child’s Certified Birth Certificate
• Child’s Up-to-Date Immunization Record
• Income Verification for the Year 2009 (1040  Income tax form, 2009 Child Support payments, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Income, printout of Work First payments, etc.)
• Proof of Pender County Residency (Property tax records which indicate the location of the homestead, apartment or home lease, mortgage documents or property deed, current utility bills such as electric, gas, or water utility bill showing residence address)
• Parent/Guardian Photo ID
• Child’s Social Security Card, if applicable
• Child’s Medicaid, Health Choice or Private Insurance card, if applicable
• Guardianship papers, if applicable

Per State law, children must have a completed Health Assessment (physical) BEFORE they will be allowed to start school. If a completed Health Assessment (physical) form has not been received before the start of the school year your child will not be allowed to start until a completed form has been turned in.