Background on the Head Start and UMOS Programs

UMOS child development division meets the needs of seasonal and migrant farm-workers in the rural Missouri area by providing early care and educational services.  My role was donation of my expertise skills and knowledge in family practice to provide childhood health screenings to the children that attend the childhood care center.  All of these children were Hispanic and bi-lingual.  However, some of the very young children were only Spanish speaking and the staff, who is also bi-lingual, assisted in translation.  I completed 15 well child health assessments at the child care center, including all components that a “well-child check” for that particular age would encompass.  I also made recommendations on any further health needs for each child, if there were any.  My role also involved assessing the child’s immunization status and determining what immunizations were still needed, as these were administered at a different time.  UMOS

On a side note...the day that I did Health exams, the Dentist also did dental screenings.  He has blonde hair and has a light complexion, I have dark hair and a dark complexion.  The children were very comfortable with me and laughed a lot and told me I looked like Doc McStuffin's or Dora the Explorer!!!  Of course I sang to them Doc McStuffin's songs and Dora songs, which they thought were hilarious!  It's just another way to make the children feel comfortable with you and gain their trust.  They were not as comfortable with him and the anxiety showed through tears and need of staff to be right with them.  I found it interesting the connection I had with this group of children because of physical features. 

Head Start is a national child development program for children from birth to age 5.  I assessed children from 2-6 years old, on 3 different days, in 3 different communities, 50 children total, for a total of 20 hours.  Another provider also completed assessments on approximately 50 children as well.  This program provides services to promote academic, social, and emotional development.  It provides nutritional services as well to income-eligible families.  The goal is to enhance the child's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.  In home assessments and services are also provided to help enable parents to be better caregivers and teachers to the children, while assisting parents to meet their own goals, including economic dependence.  Head Start is funded by the US Congress and administered through the DHSS.  It serves more than 18 million children and their families (Missouri head start association, 2015). Missouri Head Start