Early Learning & Head Start

Nutrition & Health Services

Our Early Learning Centers provide nutrition and health services in the context of the family and community.

Our programs ensure that each child and their family are connected to a primary health and dental care provider. Each child is required to have a complete physical and dental examination annually. A child’s health is important to their educational goals; being healthy and happy makes learning easier!

Health Screenings

All children receive health screenings for hearing, vision, dental and nutrition while in our programs. Any medical, dental or development concerns regarding a child are shared with parents. Our professional staff works with families to secure appropriate services to ensure each child receives necessary treatment.

Oral Health

Good oral health is a key element of health services and essential to a child’s behavior, speech, language and overall growth and development. Head Start program performance standards require each program to track the provision of oral health care for enrolled children to ensure they receive: oral health examinations, follow-up treatment as needed, oral health prevention (including fluoride varnish) and good dental hygiene practices in the classroom.

Nutrition

We know of the important link between proper nutrition and the ability to learn. All children at our Early Learning Centers are assessed for nutritional deficiencies and families are given nutrition counseling as required. Through the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program, our Early Learning Centers serve children a nutritionally balanced breakfast, lunch and snack each day. Community collaborations allow us to provide families with referrals to community nutrition resources when indicated.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

It is unlawful for Cleveland Catholic Charities (CCC) Early Learning Programs to discriminate in the enrollment of children and families based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin or disabilities.

As a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food provider, we also follow the Federal civil rights law and USDA’s civil rights regulations and policies.  In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: 

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

- mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

- fax:(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442;

- email:program.intake@usda.gov