SETA Head Start Mission

The SETA Head Start mission is to improve the lives of low-income children by providing quality comprehensive child development services that are family focused, including education, health, nutrition and mental health.

Our mission is accomplished by involving parents in the total operation and administration of the program and supporting the growth of children, families and staff through encouragement, nurturing, education and empowerment.

Philosophy

Head Start’s philosophy is based on the following principles:

• A child’s culture and family provide the foundation upon which the child’s social competence develops.
• Parents are the primary educators of their children and the experts on their child’s development. Parents and teachers work together in partnership to address the needs and holistic growth of each child so that learning will be supported in the home and at school.
• All areas of children’s development – physical, social, emotional and cognitive – are interconnected, that each child learns at his or her own pace, and that each child has individual strengths, interests, needs and learning styles.

We believe that a child’s culture and family provide the foundation upon which the child’s social competence develops.

• Children learn best by active involvement with materials, peers and adults, that children construct their own understandings of the world around them, and that play is the work of children.
• The ideal environment for children is inclusive, safe, healthy, organized, predictable, well planned, and accessible to all children. It offers a rich variety of materials, choices, and opportunities to play in various size groups, and is culturally relevant to the families we serve.
• The role of teachers is to use knowledge of child development, individual children and cultural contexts to facilitate development and learning. Teachers interact with all children, provide concrete challenging activities and continually update and adapt the classroom environment.
• It is important to have a clear framework for planning and implementing a developmentally appropriate program.