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For Families

Families play a critical role in helping children prepare for school and a lifetime of academic success. We partner with families by providing the necessary support and empowerment for successful developmental and educational outcomes.

Our goal is to engage families in partnerships that support the healthy growth and development of children, parents and the community. We start with developing relationships and family goal development with the support of program staff and engaged community partners.

We place an emphasis on parent engagement and believe that parents are an integral part of the program’s success. Families have leadership opportunities in all service areas, because successful parent engagement requires positive, ongoing and goal-oriented activities.

Enrollment

MARC Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide federally funded, comprehensive early learning services to qualifying families living in Clay, Platte and Jackson counties. We accept applications on a rolling basis from families with children up to age five and pregnant women. Call 816-841-3382 or email marcheadstart@marc.org for more information.

Eligibility

Head Start and Early Head Start enrollment is based on factors such as your family’s income and your child’s age.

Apply

Start the application process online by scheduling an appointment with an enrollment specialist today. Appointments are available for all program sites.

Documents and Forms

Print forms and learn what documents you’ll need to provide for enrollment.

 

Other Languages

If you’re not comfortable with English, our enrollment specialists can provide information in Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Amharic, Karen, Manderin, Burmese and Vietnamese.

Family & Community
Engagement

Parent Leadership

Our Parent Leadership team develops and implements projects and initiatives based on parent interests that support family well-being, promote strong parent-child relationships and enhance ongoing learning and development.

Program Governance

Families have multiple opportunities to be involved in governance. Parent committees at program sites advise staff on policies, activities and services to ensure they meet the needs of children and families. MARC Head Start Policy Council members provide input on important governance decisions and represent the interests of families and the community.

Other Opportunities

Parents have many opportunities to serve as ambassadors for Head Start. They facilitate Parent Cafés, serve as mentors for new parents at Head Start centers, encourage others to participate in parent activities, organize safety fairs and participate in focus groups to inform community initiatives.

Services

Educational Services

Our educators partner with families to set goals and plan strategies to support children’s learning and development. Families are encouraged to engage in learning experiences and routines with children, share their expertise with children and programs, engage in parent conferences and family events, and contribute to assessment of children’s progress toward school readiness goals

Health Services

We use a coordinated approach to health care access and services for Early Head Start and Head Start children, focusing on preventing problems whenever possible by carefully addressing the needs of children. If health conditions are identified, we help support and connect families to quality, dedicated health-care partners for guidance.

Mental Health Services

We use a comprehensive, collaborative team approach to support mental health services for children. Staff work with local school districts and community agencies to make sure that the special needs of children are met.

Disabilities Services

We use a comprehensive, collaborative team approach to support services for children with disabilities. Staff work with local school districts and community agencies to make sure that the special needs of children are met.

Resources

FAQs

Find the answers to questions we are asked the most about applying to MARC Head Start.

Head Start Hiring Opportunities

Interested in working at a Head Start program? MARC Head Start programs are now hiring for a variety of roles.