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.
Head Start
Part Day, Part Year:
For children 3-5 years old
3.5 hour classrooms, Monday – Thursday (4 days a week)
Classroom open from September to June
Learn-by-playing approach to building 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
7-Hour Classroom, Part Year:
For children 3-5 years old
7 hour classroom, Monday – Friday (5 days a week)
Classroom open from September to June
Learn-by-playing approach to building 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
Full Day, Full Year – Student Program and ERDC Classrooms:
For children ages 6 months to 5 years old
8.5 hours per day
Classroom open all year
Learn-by-playing approach to building 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
For full-time students of Mt. Hood Community College or families receiving Employment Related Daycare (ERDC) subsidy.
Early Head Start
Home Based:
For pregnant parents and children 0-3 years old
Provides weekly, 90-minute visits with a family support specialist in the home
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
Combo Model:
For children who are 2 by September 1st
Twice a week, 4-hour classes.
Twice a month education visits with the teacher in the home
Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources
Full Day, Full Year – Student Program and ERDC Classrooms:
For children ages 6 months to 3 years old
8.5 hours per day, Monday – Friday (5 days)
Classes are open year-round
Free supplies, including diapers and formula/li>
Assigned Family Worker to support parent education, parent-child activities, health screenings, and resources
For full-time students of Mt. Hood Community College or families receiving Employment Related Daycare (ERDC) subsidy
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 school.
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 you
Receive TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, SNAP Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (Oregon Trail Card), or SSI Supplemental Security Income benefits, or
Are houseless or experiencing housing instability, or
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.
To learn more about a specific location, click on the colored location icons below! Use your mouse to click and drag the map and use your scroll function to zoom in and out. To filter between Head Start, Early Head Start, and Childcare Partnership program models, click on the arrow icon in the upper left corner of the map to expand the side bar. Then use the check boxes on the left side of the map to select or deselect the program models that will appear on the map.
– Maywood Campus
– Head Start locations
– Early Head Start locations
– Child Care Partnerships
Not sure which school district do you live in?
Go to Portland Maps, search your address and find out what district you are in!
If you are not in East Multnomah County, find the Head Start program for your area here:
– Maywood Campus
– Head Start locations
– Early Head Start locations
– Child Care Partnerships