Pinellas County Head Start is a three-time recipient of the National Head Start Association and Carnegie Foundation’s Program of Excellence award. We were one of the first three programs recognized as such in the country, in 1995.

PCHS/EHS provides children a positive environment to develop their skills and to experience the necessary successes to transition into the public school setting.

Children are assessed via a computerized program called Galileo. This unique program tracks the progress of children as they experience significant gains in the eight domains of learning:

• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Language Skills
• Math
• Science
• Creative Arts
• Physical Health & Development
• Social/Emotional Skills

As a result of the Head Start experience, ninety-nine percent (99%) of families reported that they have seen improvement in their child’s development.

The Head Start/Early Head Start model of comprehensive, family-involved services has been shown to strengthen families, link them to needed services, and improve their social competence and responsibility. Of parents enrolled in the program during the 2001-2002 school year, 77% reported making progress on their educational goals and 78% made progress on their employment goals. Parents reported that staff had encouraged, motivated, and supported them through activities that helped them meet their goals. Of parents of the children leaving the program to attend kindergarten, 82% rated the experience as excellent or above average.

PCHS/EHS in conjunction with its grantee agency, Pinellas Opportunity Council offers Survival Skills for Women, a training module for women preparing to go into the workforce. Seventy-three percent (73%) of the Survival Skills participants completed the course to assist with transitioning back into the tax-base. One hundred percent (100%) of the Food Service training participants completed the course successfully. Of that percentage, sixty-six percent (66%) were fathers of Head Start children.

Kathy Phillips Story

Kathy Phillips relationship with Pinellas County Head Start began over thirty years ago when she was a student at what was then the 2nd Bethel Center in St. Petersburg.

Kathy says that not only did Head Start help her, it also gave her parents the necessary child care that enabled them to both work outside the home.

In 1990, Kathy began working for Pinellas County Head Start as a Family Services worker. That same year her son Rashaad started attending the Forest Hills Center in St. Petersburg. Kathy remembers how impressed she was with Head Start in the amount of time they spent working with Rashaad and the screening processes used to identify special needs that children may have.

Since her tenure at Pinellas County Head Start, Kathy has gone from student to Family Services Worker, to Assistant Registrar, to Registrar where she stayed until her most recent promotion to Case Manager Supervisor. Kathy says that Pinellas County Head Start has given her an education, employment, has enabled her to become self-sufficient, and has given her the opportunity to learn and grow.