The mission of Clinch-Powell Educational Cooperative Head Start/Early Head Start Program is to provide high-quality comprehensive services to enhance the lives of children and families from prenatal to preschool age.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be recognized as the premiere child development program in the four county service area, as we endeavor to establish community partnerships that promote positive and productive relationships with families, which empower them toward self-sufficiency and life-changing achievements.
About HS/EHS
The CPEC Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) Program is the premier provider of services to children birth through preschool age in the four-county area of Appalachian East Tennessee. We believe that development begins in the earliest moments of life and we recognize that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children. Together, we nurture the social and cognitive skills to prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
CPEC has been operating HS educational programs for young children since 1972. Over the years, CPEC has received a variety of expansion funds, became the replacement grantee for the Mountain Valley HS program in 1995 and was awarded the organization’s first EHS grant in 2000.
Currently, CPEC HS/EHS serves 56 EHS children and 455 HS children in four counties via both center-based and home-based program options. All 17 centers are licensed by the TN Department of Human Services and are designated as 3-stars, which is the highest on the State’s rating scale. The current EHS center is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and has served as a model for EHS and child development programs throughout the State. Our staff includes more than 115 qualified and trained individuals consisting of teachers, primary caregivers, teacher assistants, family advocates, bus drivers, nutrition staff and administrators.
HS/EHS is a Federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All HS/EHS programs are operated by local non-profit organizations or school systems throughout the country. HS/EHS promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of education, health, nutrition, mental health and social services. Children receive free medical and dental care, healthy meals and snacks, and enjoy planned activities in safe and developmentally-appropriate indoor and outdoor environments. Services are provided to meet the special needs of children with disabilities as well as those who are homeless or in foster care.
To learn more about EHS/HS in your community, please contact us at 423-626-9270.
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