Head Start

Head Start began as an eight-week summer program in 1965 in church basements and unused rooms of public schools. It grew into a year-round, comprehensive, multigenerational development program for children and families. Along the way it has become the largest early childhood and family education program in the county, the leading health referral system for children and the most extensive system for integrating young children with disabilities. It’s one of the oldest such programs in the nation. In August 2025, our Head Start will celebrate its 60th year of operations.

The Office of Head Start (OHS) is responsible for overseeing overall operations of the program in accordance with the Head Start Act. On August 21, 2024, the federal Office of Head Start released Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming (the “Final Rule”), making significant changes to the Head Start Performance Standards. The new Head Start Performance Standards address a wide range of topics, including child safety, the integration of mental health into program services, staff wages and benefits, and additional supports to pregnant people.

In addition to the Office of Head Start staff in Washington, DC, federal Head Start staff are located in 10 regions around the country. PRIDE Community Services Head Start Program is served by Region III, Philadelphia, PA, as well as, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC.

In compliance with the WV Universal Pre-K State Law 2525 and the WV State Day Care Licensing, as well as, the Head Start Performance Standards, PRIDE Head Start collaborates with the local school board.

Our Head Start Program is funded for 211 children and operates on an August through May school schedule.  Our children are served through the Logan County Universal Pre-K program, which is a collaboration of PRIDE Head Start and Logan County Board of Education.  We provide services for three (3), four (4) and five (5) year olds.  Collaborative classrooms and services are provided at Logan Head Start Center, Chapmanville Primary, Logan Elementary, Hugh Dingess Elementary, Man Elementary, Omar Elementary, South Man Elementary, Holden Elementary, Justice Elementary, Verdunville Elementary and Buffalo Elementary.  An additional 100 children and families receive partial services in these classrooms. Head Start provides comprehensive education activities, social, nutritional, health and mental health, as well as transportation for children and their families.

Head Start is the cornerstone of the agency and is one of the largest grant funded programs housed at PRIDE.  It is a great asset to the agency, due to the immediate and positive recognition throughout the County.