About Us
Child Start Inc., Head Start seeks to provide opportunities for education and growth for staff, children, families, and the community in a caring and nurturing environment.
Based in the Western region of Montana, CSI provides comprehensive childcare and educational services, including those that address mental, social, and emotional development of children from 3 to 5 years of age.
We Serve
318
Children
5
Counties
3 – 5
Years of Age
Our History
Child Start Inc., Head Start has consistently provided high-quality services to this region for the last 48 years. We have had the privilege to hold a federal Head Start grant for over four decades. Each year our program celebrates the many successes we have accomplished and improvements made. The Agency currently provides service to Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, and Sanders counties.
Mission Statement
The mission of Child Start Inc., Head Start is to provide opportunities for education and growth of our children, families, staff, and our community in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Vision Statement
Children, youth, families, individuals, and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure.
1964
War on Poverty
President Lyndon Johnson declared in his first State of the Union a “War on Poverty”. The goal was to eradicate the core causes of poverty by creating job opportunities, increasing productivity, and enhancing the quality of life.
Project Head Start was created as a result of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and officially launched in the summer of 1965, offering services to more than 560,000 children and families across America.
1975
Child Start Inc.,
Opens its Doors
Child Start Inc. initially procured it’s federal grant nearly 50 years ago!
1993
New Administration Building
Child Start Inc. established a partnership with Missoula County Public Schools and procured its Whittier site.
The current Whittier building had previously served as a local school site since 1923.
2007
Head Start Centered Focus on School Readiness
Congress passed the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act which provided Head Start Agencies clearer direction on expected quality standards.
2010
Best Beginnings STARS to Quality Improvement for Montana
STARS to Quality supports high quality early child care and education programs by establishing quality rating and improvement systems to strengthen programs.
Consistent with Child Start Inc., Head Start’s standard for continuous quality improvement, CSI voluntarily joined this Montana based quality improvement system.
2016
Revision of Head Start Program Performance Standards
A comprehensive revision of the HSPPS was conducted, the first of its kind since its establishment in 1975. The revised standards offered grantees flexibility in achieving positive child and family outcomes.
2019
CSI Obtains Best Beginnings STARS Level 3
Each STARS level denotes a specific level of achievement for quality standards set by the STARS program.
2022
CSI Obtains Best Beginnings STARS Level 4
We have successfully obtained a STARS Level 4 Ranking.