Access to early childhood education or childcare assistance is the key to the achievement of long-term economic self-sufficiency.

HELPNM works hard to address your child’s needs and to provide a sufficient bridge to local opportunities for services.

A childcare need is defined as the gap between what resources the family has versus what resources the family needs to maintain safe, dependable childcare that supports children’s development and family self-sufficiency. Childcare need also means that the care is necessary to maintain employment or participate in self-sufficiency activities. For childcare related to employment, this means the nature of the parent’s work makes it necessary that someone else care for the child during working hours.

Head Start takes an active role in family life in the communities that we serve. We believe that parents are a child’s first teachers and number-one role models, so we encourage parents to volunteer in the classroom and take an active role in their child’s education. In addition to free preschool, Head Start provides quality assistance and programming for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women.

During COVID-19 HELPNM will be providing three distinct methods of education, Center-Based, Home-Based, or Virtual-Based.  Center Based allows children to attend the program in-person and the family receives comprehensive services. Home-Based options include in-person home visits with comprehensive services for the family. The Virtual-Based option is done via virtual instruction with comprehensive services for the family.

All three programs include comprehensive support services., twice-yearly home visits, monthly parental meetings, and dental and hearing screenings. We also refer individuals for free mental health consultation