Early Childhood Programs
Early Childhood Programs target children from infancy through pre-school and pregnant women.
Programs are:
Child Care Center
Sault Tribe Child Care Center provides quality child care to our tribal families and employees. The center offers infant through pre-school age care. Through a collaborative agreement with Head Start, the center also offers a full-day Head Start program for eligible families.
The CCC strives to provide services similar in scope to the Head Start program and follows the Creative Curriculum, which is a project-based early childhood curriculum designed to foster the development of the whole child through teacher-led small group and large group activities. The curriculum provides information on child development, working with families and organizing the classroom around 11 interest areas. Child assessments are an ongoing part of the curriculum.
Our program enhances the curriculum with Ojibwe teachings and Anishinaabemowin (our Ojibwe language). Children receive nutritious meals and snacks. Socialization and physical activity through indoor and outdoor play is encouraged. The children receive these services in a safe, nurturing, educational, culturally-appropriate setting. Services are provided on a fee basis. Due to overwhelming full-day childcare demand, partial-day placements are not available.
The Child Care Center is open to the community at-large. However, priority of placement is first for Sault Tribe member families and employees of the tribe. The center accepts both state and tribal child care assistance payments. To offset child care expenses, the tribe offers a reduced rate for tribal member families who are not eligible for other child care financial assistance.
Early Head Start
Early Head Start is a federal program for infants, toddler and pregnant women from low-income families. Early Head Start provides high quality child and family development services. It is a year-round program that began in 1995 as a new component of the Head Start program. Children receive free medical and dental care, have healthy meals and snacks and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a safe setting. Socialization activities are held twice per month for all families. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities.
Early Head Start also offers a home-based program in Chippewa and Mackinac counties. This is a year-round program for up to 50 infants, toddlers and pregnant women. Families receive weekly home visits, which are approximately 90 minutes each. Home Visitors use the ‘Parents as Teachers’ curriculum in which all Early Head Start staff are certified.
Pregnant women are provided educational information and support from Early Head Start staff. Together with the Community Health Pre-natal program, pregnant women are also provided nursing and nutrition visits from qualified personnel.
The program is open to infants, toddlers and pregnant women who are members of a federally recognized tribe. Families must meet federal income guidelines.
Head Start
Head Start is a federal program for preschool children from low-income families. Children receive free medical and dental care, have healthy meals, and enjoy playing indoors and outdoors in a safe setting. Services are offered to meet the special needs of children with disabilities. Head Start provides breakfast, lunch and limited bus transportation.
The Sault Tribe offers three classes on a part-day, part-year basis that operate September through May. Two classes are in Sault Ste. Marie and one class is in St. Ignace. The tribe also offers one class on a full-day, full-year basis through a collaborative agreement with the Child Care Center.
Head Start provides children with activities that help them grow mentally, socially, emotionally and physically. Children socialize with others, solve problems and have other experiences that help them become self-confident. The program uses an emergent curriculum based on the Medicine Wheel. Children also receive Anishinaabemowin (our Ojibwe language).
Parents are key participants in Head Start. They participate in the classroom setting, help teachers prepare classroom activities and set up field trips. Parents are involved in committees that help the Head Start staff form policies and procedures that impact their children and the program. Head Start promotes parents as the child’s “First Teacher.”
Children must be 3 years old by Dec. 1 of each school year. They must be members of a federally recognized tribe. We recruit for this program in the early summer. Children from low-income families, children with a physical or emotional disability, and children with certain risk factors receive priority placement in the program.