Once known as the HeadStart Program, the Early Childhood Education division at its core still maintains the vision and goals inherited from the HeadStart Program. At it’s helm is Chief Destry Tom and various administrative staff that set and direct activities of the division in order to fulfill it vision and mission.

Educational Development Services

The aim of the division is to:

• Build strong relationships as the foundational driver for early learning
• Engage families in their child’s learning and recognizing parents as a child’s first and most influential teacher
• Implement effective practices to promote children’s growth in five key domains: approaches to learning, social and emotional development, language and literacy, cognition, and physical development
• Encourage learning through play, creative expression, and guided activities with schedules and lesson plans that include the cultural and language heritage of each child and family in relevant ways
• Provide safe learning environmnet
• Conduct ongoing screenings and assessments to ensure each child is making progress, and collaborating with parents and community agencies when further assessment is needed
• Support services for children with disabilities and building on their strengths

Health and Wellness

• Engage all children in both indoor and outdoor physical activity
• Serve healthy and nutritious snack and lunch
• Ensure children receive medical, dental, hearing, vision, and behavioral screening
• Make sure children brush their teeth after meals and promoting oral health and hygiene
• Helpfamilies understand and support their child’s health and behavioral health needs
• Assist with mental health services for children and families, as needed
• Build resilience to help children and families heal from traumatic experiences or events and overwhelming situations

Family Well-being

• Provide parenting support and strategiesFamily Engagement

• Invite parents to share information and insights about their child
• Engaging parents as their child’s lifelong advocate
• Welcome parents to offer ways to improve children and families’ experiences in the program
• Support child and family transitions when the child is ready for the next step, to primary education.

Eligibility and Enrollment

Early Childhood Education provide services to children of age 5 and below. The parents muct furnish a immunization card and birth certificate to the ECE center or the ECE office.

Program Settings

Head Start services are delivered in a variety of settings. This consistent, supportive setting is designed to foster strong relationships between program staff, families, and children. The selection of settings offered by ECE is determined by its assessment of community needs.

• Center-based services are located in child development centers within primary school campus. More than 90 percent of children are enrolled in center-based services, five days per week, for at least 5 hours per day.
• Home-based services are mostly delivered in a family’s own home, along with Special Education related services assistance personnel.

Outcomes

Pohnpei State Legistlature has passed into law that change the compulsory age from age 6 to 5 and thereby, making Early Childhood Education mandatory within the public education system of Pohnpei State.