Our Services

Program Options

Mt. Hood Community College Head Start and Early Head Start serves low-income families with young children who live East Multnomah County, in the Parkrose, David Douglas, Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, Reynolds and Corbett school districts. Special programs are available for working parents and parents who are students at Mt. Hood Community College.

    Home Based Program:

  • For pregnant parents and children 0-3 years old
  • Provides weekly, 90-minute visits with a family support specialist
  • Focuses on child development activities and parenting skills
  • Twice a month group socialization with other children and families in the program.
  • Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources.
    Preschool:

  • For children 3-5 years old
  • Ranges from 3.5-7 hours per day
  • Learn-by-playing approach builds social and emotional development
  • Structured classroom time including group time, free choice time, and daily time spent outside.
  • Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources.
    LDO Model:

  • For children who are 2 by September 1st.
  • Twice a week, 4-hour classes
  • Twice a month education home visits with the teacher
  • Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources.
    Full Day Program:

  • For children ages 6 months to 5 years old
  • 8.5 hours per day
  • Classes are open year-round
  • Free supplies, including diapers and formula
  • For working families receiving childcare subsidy (ERDC or TANF/Jobs)
  • Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources.
    Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP):

  • For children ages 6 weeks through 3 years old
  • Full-day year-round childcare services
  • EHS-CCP services provided within local childcare centers and certified family childcare homes
  • For working families receiving childcare subsidy (ERDC or TANF/Jobs)
  • For pregnant and teen parents, including fathers, currently attending high schools

Please Note:
Language Specific Classrooms are available for Burmese and Spanish. Language Specific Caseloads are offered in Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

If you have any questions or need more information about our programs, please call our main line 503-491-6111.

Eligibility Criteria

You are eligible for our program if you are pregnant or have children under 5 years old by September 1st and

  • Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, or
  • Are houseless or experiencing housing instability, or
  • Have an income below the federal poverty guidelines, or
  • Have a child in foster care

    • Please Note:
    For the Full-Day Childcare Program, families must also be working and receiving a childcare subsidy or be a full time MHCC student.

Apply Now or Make a Referral

Apply Now

If you are interested in our program and would like to receive childcare services for your children, please fill out the pre-application form. We will contact you soon to finalize your application.

Refer Now

If you are working with a family who you would like us to contact to complete an application, please fill out our referral form and we will be in touch soon.

Our Locations

Mt. Hood Community College Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve families who live in East Multnomah County, in the Parkrose, David Douglas, Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, Reynolds and Corbett school districts.

Not sure which school district do you live in?
Go to Portland Maps, search your address and find out what district you are in!