Massachusetts Head Start Association

Head Start was founded in 1965 as a tool to help break the cycle of poverty by providing low-income parents with early childhood education and comprehensive family services. Since then, Head Start has expanded to include children birth – age 3 and now serves approximately one million children per year in all 50 states. In Massachusetts, Head Start and Early Head Start serve over 15,000 children each year through 29 federal Head Start grantees.

The Mission of the Massachusetts Head Start Association (MHSA) is to support its members to administer high quality, effective Early Head Start and Head Start programs that provide outstanding services to pregnant women, infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To this end, MHSA:

1.    Actively advocates for resources and policies that support this mission;

2.    Forges and maintains strong collaborations with the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the MA Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), other partners, advocates, governmental agencies and community members;

3.    Provides to its members up to date information, analysis, strategic direction and other resources as available; and

4.    Through regular meetings, provides for its members meaningful opportunities for information sharing, goal setting and professional development.