Thank you to Governor Kate Brown for proclaiming October as Head Start Awareness Month.

The Early Learning Division is excited to celebrate Head Start Awareness Month. This is the time of year that Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten programs from across the state connect with their partners to share about exciting work that is being done and learn ways we can better partner together.

In Oregon, you often hear Head Start referred to as Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten (OPK). That is because, established in 1987, OPK is modeled after the successful federal Head Start program. Today OPK enroll even more children than the federal Head Start program in the state of Oregon. More than 13,000 children under the age of five benefit from Head Start and Early Head Start services each year.

Read the Governor Brown’s proclamation. Reach out to your local OPK program to learn how you can celebrate National Head Start Awareness Month!