Frequently Asked Questions

ABC Head Start Society is an Edmonton charity and Early Childhood Services (ECS) provider that was founded in 1985. Since then, ABC Head Start has grown to serve over 800 children and families each year. 

Head Start is like preschool with added support from social workers, speech language pathologists, and other clinical and educational specialists. We see PLAY as the most important part of learning. Play helps children explore and make sense of the world. Our team creates a learning plan for each child. We know every child has things that they are great at and will use their strengths to help them learn best.

You might notice there are lots of adults working in your child’s classroom. At Head Start, there are many different professionals that we call our interdisciplinary team. The team includes teachers, education assistants, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, behaviour specialists, family engagement workers, and a health team.

We know that parents are their child’s first teachers and that supporting families is as important as educating a child. For this reason, we have a family engagement team that will support your family when you need help. Family engagement workers will help you access services in your community, they hold workshops and courses to build new parenting skills, and they can even help you set goals and grow stronger as a family.

Helping families is our mission and we aim to support all members of the family to build their skills and abilities.

In Alberta age cut-offs are determined by Alberta Education. Parents or guardians will need to provide their child’s birth certificate for enrollment.

We consider many factors, including a child's developmental needs as well as social and financial barriers their family may be facing.

As a registered charity, our programs are free for those families who fall below an annual income threshold in their home (this includes all adults residing in the home). The threshold amount is determined based on the number of people living in the home. It costs us thousands of dollars each year to support each child, but government funding and donations help us offer these services at no cost to families who need them most.

We also have some spaces available each year for families who don't qualify for free programming but still need extra help. In these cases, families pay a small monthly fee to help cover costs. Your intake worker will let you know if you qualify for a free spot or if you're eligible for a paid spot.

ABC Head Start offers half-day classes from September to June. Our youngest children attend two days per week, while older pre-K children attend five days per week. Classes take place in either the morning or afternoon, depending on program placement and availability.

Our Family Engagement Team determines program details for each child—including location, days, and times—based on availability, classroom capacity, and program resources. Families will receive this information in late August, just before the school year begins. While we understand the need for flexibility, we are not always able to accommodate individual requests.

Spaces in ABC Head Start are extremely limited. Parents or guardians must apply online at https://www.abcheadstart.org/apply for their child to be considered for the program. Families with low income and children with developmental delays or disabilities will be given priority.

We recognize the need for Head Start programming for families where factors in addition to developmental delays may create barriers to success in learning and in life. For children who do not have a developmental delay or disability, vulnerability factors will be considered for program eligibility.

Some examples of vulnerable families are those experiencing challenges of social isolation, recent job loss, new to Canada or Edmonton, lone or teen parents, housing or transportation barriers, developmental or literacy barriers, and those dealing with mental health, addictions or family violence.

Every year we raise funds to allow children who are not eligible for PUF, or whose families are unable to pay fees, to come to Head Start. We will accept as many children from families that need extra help as our fundraising allows.

Visit our Head Start program page to see our current locations.

We understand that transportation can be a barrier, and we strive to support families in accessing our program. Most program streams/ classrooms are eligible for busing, but availability is determined closer to the start of the school year based on space, boundary maps, and other factors. Our team will work with you to explore transportation options and find the best solution for your family.

Once we receive and review your online application, a member of our Intake Support Team will contact you to complete a Phone Screening.

If you submitted an application and have not heard from us within 2 weeks, please call 780-461-5353 or email intake@abcheadstart.org to check the status of your application. You can also review our Application Process for more information.

The children are given free, healthy snacks during programming.

On the first day of school, please send your child with these items:

• Small backpack

• Change of clothes (t-shirt, pants, socks & underwear)

• Indoor shoes with your child’s name on the bottom. These shoes will be left at school for your
  child to change into each day when they arrive (Velcro is a good choice so children can put on
  and take off their shoes by themselves)

• If your child is using pull-ups, please send a package with them in case of an accident.

Every day:

• Ensure that your child is dressed for the weather when they arrive at school.

Like us on Facebook!  www.facebook.com/abcheadstart. We also post videos for parents and children on YouTube at www.youtube.com/abcheadstartsociety. Or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @abcheadstart. And of course, visit our website at www.abcheadstart.org to see the latest updates and events.