Southern New Hampshire Services Head Start

Southern New Hampshire Services Head Start is a school located at 9 Crystal Avenue in Derry, New Hampshire, United States. Our institution focuses on nurturing young children through healthy early development. Our Head Start and Early Head Start Programs are designed for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children to provide them with the habits and tools they need to succeed in school and in life. We work to build connections between children and their families, providing a safe learning environment. Our Family Support Staff work with each family to connect them to community services, transportation resources, and provide parent education as needed.

We believe in helping every child reach their true potential, which is why all Head Start and Early Head Start children receive ongoing developmental screening and assessment to address their medical, dental, nutritional, emotional, and social needs. Individualized services are also provided to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Enrolled center-based children are provided with nutritious meals and snacks.

Our free and federally funded programs include Head Start for children aged three to five years old, and Early Head Start for children aged six weeks to three years old. Head Start is a pre-school child development program designed to help children and their families prepare the skills needed for kindergarten. The program involves the whole family in a multifaceted approach to early education with a focus on school readiness.

Classes meet daily Monday through Friday for 4-6 hours depending on location, with extended day services available at some sites for families who work or attend school full time. Head Start has locations in Derry, Hillsborough, Manchester, Nashua, Raymond, and Seabrook. For parents in need of full-day care, we offer low-cost wrap-around childcare at four centers in Derry, Manchester, Nashua, and Hillsborough.

Early Head Start is a comprehensive child development program designed for infants and toddlers with locations in Manchester and Nashua. We partner with families to provide intensive developmental education and family support services to nurture the relationship between parent and child.

We consider all income of the parents or guardians of the child applying for Head Start, including TANF, Social Security, SSI, child support, and unemployment. Applications can be completed in-person, by phone, or online. Together with one of our Head Start team members, we will complete your application and submit it for review and approval.

For more information, you can contact us at 40 Pine Street in Manchester, NH, or call us at (603) 668-8010 (Local) or (800) 322-1073 (Toll-Free). For the hearing impaired, please call (800) 877-8339.