Programs and Services

McIntosh Trail provides both Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten services to children across North Central Georgia.The goal of every teacher is to give children key learning experiences, enabling them to be successful in kindergarten.

Head Start

Children at zoo

Head Start began in 1965 in the Office of Economic Opportunity as an innovative way in which to serve children of low-income families and is now administered by the Administration for Children and Families.

The cornerstone of the program is parent and community involvement - which has made it one of the most successful preschool programs in the country. Approximately 1,400 community-based nonprofit organizations and school systems develop unique and innovative programs to meet specific needs.

Children who attend Head Start participate in a variety of educational activities that emphasize developmentally appropriate practices. These activities help them grow cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. The children also receive free medical and dental care. The Head Start children are served nutritious meals and snacks, and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a safe setting.

Services are also offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities. Your child must be three or four by September 1, to attend that school year. The program operates on the regular school system calendar and the hours vary by county.

Since 1965, Head Start has served over 15.3 million children and their families. Head Start plays a major role in focusing attention on the importance of early childhood development. The program also has an impact on: child development and day care services; the expansion of state and local activities for children; the range and quality of serves offered to young children and their families; and the design of training programs for those who staff such programs. Outreach and training activities also assist parents in increasing their parenting skills and knowledge of child development.

Head Start is a national program which provides comprehensive developmental services for America's low-income, pre-school children ages three to five and social services for their families. Specific services for children focus on education, socio-emotional development, physical and mental health, and nutrition.

More information on Head Start can be found at the National Head Start Association website.

Pre-Kindergarten

McIntosh Trail also provides Pre-Kindergarten services to 160 children who are four years old by September 1 of that school year.

This unique program, funded by the Georgia Lottery, is expected to serve about 70,000 children in the upcoming school year. Like our Head Start program, the goal of every Georgia Pre-K classroom is to give four-year-olds a program that will provide key learning experiences, enabling them to be successful in kindergarten.

The program is voluntary for both families and communities and operates cooperatively with each county's regular school system calendar. The program ensures that each child receives nutritious meals, developmentally appropriate learning activities while emphasizing growth in language and literacy, math concepts, science, art, physical development, social competence and other enjoyable learning experiences throughout the day.

McIntosh Trail provides Pre-Kindergarten services in the following counties:

Parents who have eligible four-year-olds may contact the center in their community for participation in the Pre-Kindergarten classrooms.