Early Childhood Education Programs in Virginia

Head Start

• The Virginia Head Start program provides services for children up to 5 years old. Services from this federally administered program include developing students' academic, social and emotional skills, and are provided to families in the low-income bracket. Head Start is the longest-running early childhood education program in the country. The programs cater specifically to the areas education, health, nutrition, dental, social development, mental health and parental inclusion. Head Start also can provide childcare and home-based assistance to families, and some of its other programs are also recognized for providing services to children who are disabled or live in migrant or Native American families.

  Virginia Department of Social Services
  801 E. Main St.
  Richmond, VA 23219-2901
  dss.virginia.gov
  804-726-7000

Smart Beginnings

• The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation's Smart Beginnings program has regional and local offices throughout the State of Virginia. The overall goal of the program is to train regional and local professionals so that they can begin and maintain programs that prepare students for school. These programs are geared toward children up to age 5. The program also offers grants to organizations to create early childhood programs, and it promotes public awareness about the need for early childhood education. Local Smart Beginnings programs work with families and schools.

  Smart Beginnings
  2201 W. Broad St., Suite 109
  Richmond, VA 23220
  804-358-8323
  smartbeginnings.org

Early Childhood Special Education

• The Early Childhood Special Education program offers services to children from birth through kindergarten, and this program is available throughout the state to all who are eligible. To qualify, children must fall into one of the following categories: autistic; deaf/blind; emotionally challenged; hearing impaired; learning/intellectually disabled; orthopedically impaired; speech/language impaired; visually impaired/blind; developmentally delayed; suffering from traumatic brain injury; or possess other type of health impairment. Since services are provided by the local school district, contact local school offices for eligibility and other information about the programs.

  Early Childhood Special Education
  P.O. Box 2120
  Richmond, VA 23218
  804-225-2074
  doe.virginia.gov