ABOUT MET
MET currently provides rural communities in Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wyoming with employment training, family services and activities through a network of service centers.
Interested families should call their local Head Start or Early Head Start center in their respective community.
If you have questions regarding enrollment or need help locating the nearest center to your family, please call: (281)-659-1305
Head Start: Jennifer Steele, ext. 23
Early Head Start and CCP: Cynthia Resendiz, ext 34
You may also use the link below:
Additional Resources
Request for Proposal
Request for Proposal for Program Nurse
annual report
community assessment update
WHAT IS HEAD START?
Head Start is a federally funded, Early Childhood Program serving America's children and families. Head Start focuses on children ages 3-5 and promotes growth and well-being in the areas of early learning, health and family services. Through partnering with parents and the community Head Start assists children with their cognitive and social/emotional development in preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten, while family service workers assist families in developing sustainability in providing for their family.
WHAT IS EARLY HEAD START?
Early Head Start is a federally funded community-based program for low-income families with pregnant women, infants, and toddlers up to age 3. Early Head Start’s focus is on bonding and attachment as Early Head Start helps promote healthy, positive relationships between parent, caregiver and child. Early Head Start also focuses on a child’s needs and tracks their cognitive and physical development through their third birthday.
WHAT IS EARLY HEADSTART CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIPS?
Head Start is a federally funded, Early Childhood Program serving America's children and families. Head Start focuses on children ages 3-5 and promotes growth and well-being in the areas of early learning, health and family services. Through partnering with parents and the community Head Start assists children with their cognitive and social/emotional development in preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten, while family service workers assist families in developing sustainability in providing for their family.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR OUR PROGRAMS?
Head Start and Early Head Start focus on providing services for America’s most vulnerable children. Eligibility for Head Start and Early Head Start is based on age and income. In addition, children who are homeless or in foster care are automatically eligible for services. In order to reach the communities most vulnerable children, MET also promotes enrollment opportunities for families on TANF, SSI, children with disabilities, families working with CPS, incarcerated parent(s) etc. Teen parents are also given special consideration for the Early Head Start program.
WHERE DO I APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY?
Interested families should call their local Head Start or Early Head Start center in their respective community.
If you have questions regarding enrollment or need help locating the nearest center to your family, please call: (281)-659-1305
Head Start: Jennifer Steele, ext. 1223
Early Head Start and CCP: Cynthia Resendiz, ext. 1234
You may also use the link below:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Request for Proposal
Request for Proposal for Program Nurse
Annual Report
MET Annual Report 2023 PDF
Community Assessment Update
View Now
EDUCATION
Head Start programs promote school readiness of children ages birth to five years old from low-income families by supporting the development of the whole child. Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide learning experiences to help children grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
Children’s readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development. Children progress in social skills and emotional well-being, along with language and literacy learning, and concept development.
The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five (ELOF) presents five broad areas of early learning, referred to as central domains. The framework is designed to show the continuum of learning for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It is grounded in comprehensive research around what young children should know and be able to do during their early years.
To explore the ELOF, as well as resources within each of the central domains, check out the Interactive Framework.
MET offers a variety of service models, depending on the needs of the local community. Some of our programs are based in standalone centers and others are embedded in child care. Some locations also offer home-based services where a dedicated staff member conducts weekly visits to children in their own homes.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Children are born with the need and desire to connect with those around them. When teachers and caregivers establish positive relationships with children from birth through the early years, and value their diverse cultures and languages, children feel safe and secure, laying the foundation for healthy social and emotional development. This process affects how children experience the world, express themselves, manage their emotions, and establish positive relationships with others.
SPECIAL SERVICEs
Head Start and Early Head Start can help children with disabilities. Federal law requires that each Head Start program reserve at least 10% of their enrollment slots for children with disabilities. In order for your child to get special education services from our Head Start or Early Head Start program, he/she must be eligible under the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (IDEA).
CLASS DATA
CLASS uses research-driven insights to improve how teachers interact with children every day to cultivate supportive, structured, and engaging classroom experiences.
PARENTING CLASSES
DEVELOP STRONG PARENTING TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES
RAISE HAPPY KIDS WITH POSITIVE, LOVING TOOLS
The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of crafting caring and respectful relationships. An authentic, loving connection between parents and their children is the root of a healthy, thriving relationship built on trust and understanding.
Sounds easy enough but never before in history have parents been faced with so many challenges! Our approach provides a variety of simple and effective strategies for parenting children from birth to adulthood. Whether you’re embarking for the first time with your new baby or navigating the turbulent teens with your youngest, our strategies and techniques will help you create calm and loving solutions.
Choose "Love"
The Love, in Love and Logic means that we love our kids so much that we are willing to set and enforce limits. This Love also means that we do so with sincere compassion and empathy.
Choose "Logic"
The Logic, in Love and Logic happens when we allow children to make decisions, affordable mistakes and experience the natural or logical consequences. When we balance this with sincere empathy, they develop the following logic: "The quality of my life depends on the quality of my choices."
PARENTS CORNER
MET recognizes and supports parents in their role as their child's first teacher. We have an open door policy and welcome parents to volunteer in the classroom, attend parent meetings and participate in training's and/or other program activities.
MET Head Start offers parents personal development and support services including continuing education and employment training, parenting skills workshops and emergency assistance services. Please contact your local head start to find out more information on our resources for parents.
POLICY COUNCIL
MET has a Policy Council formed by representatives from each center. The Policy Council works in partnership with key management staff and the governing body to develop, review, and approve or disapprove funding applications, program planning procedures, goal setting, defining recruitment, selection, and enrollment priorities, personnel policies, and more.
PARENT COMMITTEE
Each center has a Parent Committee that is made up exclusively of parents who's children are currently enrolled. Parent Committees are involved in advising staff in developing and implementing local program policies, activities, and services. Additionally, the Parent Committee plans, conducts, and participates in programs and activities for parents and staff.
FATHERHOOD ENGAGEMENT
MET Head Start and Early Head Start are supportive of the fatherhood role in a child’s life. Father “involvement” often refers to bringing fathers into the program to participate in different activities. It also refers to helping fathers become more involved in child rearing and in their child’s life.
Father “engagement” includes participation and child rearing but goes a step further. Father engagement means making a commitment to a partnership. Engagement is rooted in positive relationships. With involvement, there is an emphasis on being present. With engagement, there is a focus on creating and sustaining ongoing relationships. The intent is to support families and to benefit children’s learning and development.
In Head Start and Early Head Start, father engagement means that fathers and staff work as partners to promote the child’s best interest, to exchange knowledge about the child, and to share in program governance. They also work together to establish child and family goals that are motivating and fulfilling.
Successful engagement of fathers requires genuine curiosity and respect for the unique strengths, talents, cultures, goals, and circumstances of fathers. Building a trusting relationship based on knowledge and acceptance of the individual opens the door for meaningful communication. A trusting relationship can lead to positive changes for families and communities.
HEALTH SERVICES
VISION & HEARING SCREENINGS
For more than fifty years, Head Start has integrated health care access, immunizations, screenings, and developmental supports into the comprehensive services offered to children and families. Poverty too often goes hand in hand with poor health and limited access to necessary medical services. Without access to doctors for routine check-ups and specialists to identify and treat disabilities or delays, some children suffer unnecessarily for years during a critical period of development, ultimately undermining their full potential. Head Start's comprehensive health services address these needs and are integral to the success of children and families.
Today, health remains an essential and unique part of Head Start. The Head Start Program Performance Standards codify expectations that programs help each family establish a source of continuous, accessible health care for their children’s medical, dental, and mental health needs and ensure that children receive immunizations and well child visits. Programs obtain or perform vision and hearing screenings for each child within 45 days of entry into Head Start. If any issues are identified, whether a need for glasses or a developmental delay, appropriate follow-up and treatment is required. As is reflected in the Standards and in practice, Head Start is committed to the idea that children must be healthy to learn and that health services, especially early in life, are essential to supporting children's readiness for success in school and beyond.
NUTRITION SERVICES
CHILD & ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM
USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Program plays a vital role in improving the quality of care and making it more affordable for many low-income families. Each day, 3.3 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. CACFP reaches even further to provide meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible afterschool care programs.
3E'S NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM
The objective of the 3E Nutrition program is to increase awareness of the importance of good nutrition, especially for children, and to encourage children's health and well-being through Education, Exercise and Eating right.