CARD Head Start & Early Head Start

09/18/2026

🎣 Our Annual Fishing Derby is almost here! 🎣

Join C.A.R.D. Head Start & Early Head Start for a FREE day of fishing, food, games, activities, prizes & family fun at Claremore Lake on October 3rd.

Want a Fishing Derby T-shirt?
Adult and additional T-shirts are available to purchase online! Orders must be placed by September 25.

Order your Fishing Derby T-shirt here: https://crispyprint.com/fishingderby26/

All purchased T-shirts will be ready for pickup at the T-shirt booth at the Fishing Derby.

Enrolled Head Start & Early Head Start students attending the event can receive a FREE T-shirt at the event while supplies last, first come, first served!

📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM–1:30 PM
📍 Claremore Lake Park

Check out the flyer for all the details, and we’ll see you at the lake!

09/17/2026

Head Start and Early Head Start could look very different under a new proposal from HHS.

The proposed changes would remove federal requirements in areas including teacher-child ratios and class sizes while reducing some of the comprehensive services that have long been part of the program.

HHS says the changes could expand access. But what could they mean for the quality and supports babies and families receive?

In our latest Beyond the Headlines, Amanda Perez breaks down the proposal and what the research tells us about why these early supports matter: https://bit.ly/3URfRpS

09/17/2026

Head Start & Early Head Start Parents and Caregivers: Your Voice Matters!

Changes have been proposed to the federal standards that guide Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the country.

These proposals could affect areas families experience every day, including health and developmental screenings, classroom staffing, services for children with disabilities, family communication, and the role parents have in program decisions.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) has created a Parent Letter where current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents and caregivers can learn more and choose whether to add their name.

The deadline to sign is September 30, 2026.

Learn more, read the Parent Letter, and find out how to participate:
https://nhsa.org/nprm-resources/how-to-speak-up-for-head-start/

These changes are proposed and are not currently in effect.

Sign the Parent Letter by September 30 to protect Head Start standards that benefit children and families. Join parents across the country.

09/16/2026

🌟 Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at CARD Head Start & Early Head Start 🌟

This month, we honor and celebrate the children and families in our program who carry Hispanic heritage. Your traditions, language, and culture enrich our classrooms and strengthen our community every day.

At CARD, every child belongs. Every family is valued. We are grateful for the trust you place in us to support your children’s learning, health, and future success.

We are proud to walk this path together!
¡Estamos orgullosos de caminar juntos en este camino! 💛

09/10/2026

**C.A.R.D. Head Start & Early Head Start is hiring!**

We’re looking for caring, dependable people who want to make a difference for children and families across Northeast Oklahoma.

**Current openings include:**
• **Substitutes** - Broken Arrow, Coweta, Wagoner, Catoosa, Claremore, Pryor & Bartlesville
• **Southside Broken Arrow Head Start** - Aide & Assistant Cook
• **Coweta Head Start** - Assistant Teacher
• **Early Head Start Broken Arrow** - Extended Care position
• **Early Head Start Substitutes** - Broken Arrow, Coweta, Wagoner, Catoosa, Claremore, Pryor & Bartlesville

Join a team that helps children learn, grow, and build bright futures!

**Apply today and tell us which position/location you’re interested in:**
C.A.R.D. Employment Application: https://forms.gle/gQMEfjBp7Z6Gnt7SA

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

NPRM Series: What Could Change?

Head Start is more than early education. For decades, comprehensive health services have helped children access screenings, dental care, nutrition support, mental health services, and follow-up care.

The proposed NPRM would remove many of the detailed federal requirements that guide these services. While health services would still be required under the Head Start Act, fewer standards could mean services look different across communities.

Why does this matter? Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. children live in a household experiencing food insecurity, and half of children enrolled in Medicaid do not receive dental services.

Healthy children are better prepared to learn, grow, and thrive. ❤️

This NPRM is only a proposal. These changes are not currently in effect.

Source: National Head Start Association, Head Start and Comprehensive Health Services, August 2026

Head Start is about more than early learning. For generations, its comprehensive approach has helped connect children and families with health, dental, vision, nutrition, and mental health services that can help children arrive in the classroom ready to learn.

The Head Start Program Performance Standards provide specific requirements for this work, from developmental, behavioral, vision, and hearing screenings to helping families access healthcare and insurance.

As the federal government considers proposed changes to these standards, one of NHSA’s latest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issue briefs takes a closer look at Head Start’s comprehensive health services, what the research tells us, and what could be at stake for children and families.

Read the issue brief: https://nhsa.box.com/s/glgkpoi754s2jt3o2ja0c7308ypdmc07

09/01/2026

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.

Dolly believed every child should have the chance to grow up with books. Inspired by her father, who could not read or write, she started the Imagination Library to send free books to children from birth to age 5.

Her mission is one we hold close at C.A.R.D. Head Start & Early Head Start: helping little ones learn, grow, and dream big.

Dolly’s legacy will continue to live on in generations of little readers.

C.A.R.D. families: Sign your little reader up to receive a FREE book in the mail each month!

https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/

Thank you, Dolly.

For decades, Dolly Parton has helped put books into the hands of millions of young children through her Imagination Library, beginning at birth.

And those books represent so much more than learning to read.

In the earliest years, sharing a book is a chance for babies and toddlers to hear new words, explore the world, connect with the people who love them and build the relationships that help their brains grow. Long before a child can read the words on a page, they’re learning through every story, snuggle, point and conversation.

Inspired by her own father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read, Dolly turned a deeply personal experience into a commitment to making books more accessible to families, regardless of where they live or what they earn.

Her work is a powerful reminder that every child deserves opportunities to learn, connect and thrive from the very beginning.

Thank you, Dolly, for believing in babies.

08/23/2026

Big changes to Head Start are being proposed, and your voice matters.

The federal government has proposed major changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the rules that guide how Head Start programs across the nation serve children and families. These changes are NOT final, and public comments are open through October 6, 2026!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be digging into some of the biggest proposed changes and sharing what they could mean for C.A.R.D. Head Start and Early Head Start children, families, staff, and programs.

Parents, staff, and community partners are encouraged to learn more and share their own experiences through the public comment process before the deadline on October 6th, 2026.

Learn more about the proposed changes:
NHSA 2026 NPRM Resources & Summary
https://nhsa.org/nprm-resources/

Submit a public comment by October 6:
Official Federal Rule & Comment Information
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ACF-2026-0595

Stay tuned as we break down the issues and help our community stay informed.

Fewer rules cannot equal fewer results. Keep the promise.

08/18/2026