Westcop Aunt Bessies Open Door

WestCOP’s Early Childhood Program serves almost two thousand income-eligible children and families in twenty-two Head Start and Early Head Start centers throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties.

The centers offer several types of programs, which include part-day or six-hour Head Start, full-day childcare, therapeutic classrooms, Universal Pre-Kindergarten, and after-school services. A complete list of the centers, with addresses and contact information, may be found at the end of this section.

Starting March 2014, WestCOP began a pilot Early Childhood Development program in Port Chester called “5 Steps to Five”. Fully funded by a group of individuals and foundations, its mission is to educate disadvantaged parents how to prepare their newborn babies to become responsive, effective students and productive, responsible citizens, leading to a stronger, healthier society and economy.

ec_pic1The Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide comprehensive child development services for children from birth to five years, and focuses

on the goals of promoting social competence and school readiness for each child. Because Head Start believes that parents and families are a child’s first and best teacher, partnerships with families are considered an important and integral part of the Head Start experience. Through these partnerships, parents are encouraged:

to become involved in all aspects of the Head Start program;
are empowered to become advocates for their children and themselves
to pursue the goals they have identified.

ecpic2In addition to partnering with parents, WestCOP’s Head Start program actively collaborates with a wide range of community agencies. These collaborations serve to ensure that resources are available for the children and families as they progress towards their goals.

Additional Information: This facility is authorized to administer medications;Initial License Date: 11/19/1988; There has been enforcement actions since 2003;