A new Head Start facility has opened in Lancaster promising access to quality education, programs in child development and family enrichment, and access to food and wellness programs.
This new Head Start site becomes the 26th location in Northern Los Angeles County to be operated by the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), a non-profit serving over 50,000 families for more than 40 years.
CCRC Head Start in Lancaster is now enrolling children ages 0 to 5 through the CCRC website. The facility is at 808 W. Newgrove St. in Lancaster, but because of the pandemic, services are currently virtual.
Angelee Oster, a Head Start center director, sees the temporary shift to virtual learning as another opportunity to connect with families.
“It’s great because we’re using a curriculum that guides and supports parents as teachers,” Oster said. “We facilitate activities but (parents) gain knowledge about how their child is growing and developing and they’re learning skills for continued at-home development. We provide actual information on how your child’s brain process works.”
CCRC Head Start plans to welcome families and teachers inside the new Lancaster facility once state and local leaders determine that it is safe to return. Until then, the adjusted program includes take-home learning and activity kits, grab and go meals at select locations, access to diapers and wipes, and comprehensive services for families.
Those enrolled in CCRC Head Start will continue to receive health, nutrition, and family services, as well as assistance with their child’s mental health challenges and other disabilities. Head Start participants also benefit from the CCRC Head Start nutrition program, which provides meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
To qualify for this program, a family must meet federal income guidelines established by reference to the official poverty line.
CCRC’s Head Start already serves the communities of Van Nuys, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Canoga Park, Sun Valley, Reseda, Pacoima, Northridge, Sepulveda, Granada Hills, and Arleta. Children who live outside of these communities are still eligible if their parents work or attend school in the area, have child care in the area, or if a CCRC Head Start location is the nearest preschool to their home.
