• ICS, Early Head Start was established in 1998 to provide child & family development services for pregnant women & families with infants & toddlers, ages birth up to age three.
• Low-wealth annual income families receive preference for enrollment, as do pregnant teens and those in high risk pregnancies.
• The program provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services.
• The program promotes early learning; therefore, school readiness. This happens by enhancing your child’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
• All these EHS services support the parents’ efforts to fulfill their parental roles. Our parents are our partners.

EHS is free!  Parents are not charged daycare costs nor tuition.

• Infants starting at eight weeks may be considered for enrollment. Infant childcare costs about $1,760 per month in the US.
• EHS is free for infants. No daycare charges!  Average infant daycare runs $425.00 per week in our area, about 13% of the average family’s budget & if a Single Parent family even more.
• EHS also serves Toddlers. Head Start takes over for the pre-school years.
• EHS is free for toddlers. No daycare charges!  Toddler daycare and early learning classes run $1,365 per month in the USA.
• EHS children get preference for Head Start selection when the child becomes pre-school age.
• Pregnant Women can also be enrolled. No cost to the future Mother either.  Lots of support, resources, and parenting education.
• For a healthy pregnancy and birth outcome, EHS assists expectant families with acquiring prenatal, postpartum, mental wellness, medical & dental services.
• Expectant families receive training and information on fetal development including risk from smoking and alcohol use, labor & delivery, and postpartum recovery including depression.
• An enrolled Pregnant Mom’s child will have preference for EHS selection & if ICS can’t get your child enrolled right away, caseworkers will assist in linking you to other child care sources.
• Diapers, formula, and any other supplies needed for enrolled children are provided at no cost during operational hours. Diapers cost about $25.00 per week so EHS saves the family about $50.00 each month on diaper costs.
• No cost healthy USDA approved meals are served. Those meals could cost the family $100.00 each week.
• EHS classrooms are staffed with two qualified teachers with a ratio of one adult to 4 children; better than state requirements.
• EHS schedules & routines are individualized. Babies are held when bottle fed.
• Safety First! Infants & Toddlers have a separate playground.
• ICS, EHS is located in 13 of the fourteen counties where ICS provides services.
• ICS, EHS is in Benton, Clay, DeSoto, Grenada, Lafayette, Lowndes, Marshall, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate, & Tunica counties.
• Currently ICS, EHS serves 320 children and 28 Pregnant Moms/Expectant Families.

Just a few ICS, EHS Facts:

• In EHS, 97% for of the parents actively volunteer and participate in parenting sessions on the Parent Curriculum topics, while the national rate is only 43.1%. What a good program!
• In EHS, last year 100% of ICS children were connected with Medical and Dental providers, and complete or up-to-date on immunizations.
• In EHS 100% of the families and children received Nutrition education, far higher than the national level of 48.5% and the state level of 62.1%.