Hillsborough Head Start Community Foundation
About the Hillsborough HeadStart/EarlyHead Start Program
Head Start began as an eight-week federal summer program to help low income youngsters catch up with higher income peers. That first summer of 1965, Head Start enrolled more than 500,000 children nationwide.
The Tampa Opportunity Council (Community Action Agency) served as the local Grantee for the summer Head Start program in 1965. Beginning in 1966 the Hospital and Welfare Board was funded for full day full year centers and the
In 1996, Hillsborough Head Start was awarded an Early Head Start grant to serve families of children, prenatal through age three. In collaboration with
The Hillsborough County Program is a four-time nationally recognized Program of Excellence, 2010 Florda Head Start Association Image Award winner, 2010 Federally Reviewed Gold Seal Head Start/Early Head Start Program and 2011 winner of four out of ten possible awards from the Florida Head Start Association.
The BOCC currently operates its own full-day, full-year program through 19 community based centers. Additionally, the BOCC contracts with three delegate agencies, Hillsborough County Public Schools to provide Head Start services and the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA and Lutheran Services Florida to provide Early Head Start Services. the BOCC also contracts with six child care partners, A Brighter Community, Easter Seals, King's Kids, metropolitan Ministries, New Friendship and Wright's Wonderland to provide services in higher need communities throughout the county. It is one of the largest Head Start Programs in teh Southeastern united States, serving 3,474 infants, toddlers, children and pregnant women through its Head start/Early Head Start and Expectant Parents Program.