CAPK is proud to be Kern County’s federally contracted Head Start & Early Head Start official service provider. The Head Start/State Child Development Division is responsible for our agency’s Head Start & Early Head Start Programs, which engage parents, teachers, caregivers, and administrators in forging a path towards a bright and healthy future for every child in our care.

California State Preschool funding is used to complement and expand hours for Head Start and Early Head Start families requiring full-day services.  CAPK offers Head Start and Early Head Start services throughout Kern and San Joaquin Counties.

We celebrate the linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversity that exists among our Head Start/Early Head Start families and cater to their individual needs through center-based and home-based options. This is done in the spirit of ensuring the best early care, education, and school readiness experience possible for children ages 0 to 5.

Home visits, the participation of parents on the Head Start Policy Council and the CAPK Board of Directors, and a mandate to include physically and mentally disabled children in Head Start/Early Head Start are all practical ways of ensuring that we meet the needs of all client families.

Health and Safety Update: To encourage a safe and sanitary environment, many precautions are in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 virus transmission while children are attending Head Start. Safety measures include promoting staggered arrival and pick-up times, daily no-contact health screenings for staff and families, physical distancing, regular handwashing, and use of personal protective equipment. CAPK Head Start has also adopted the use of Electrostatic Sprayers, equipped with CDC-approved Bioesque disinfectant, to treat classroom surfaces.