Guadalupe Head Start was established in 1964 making it Milwaukee's first bilingual Head Start Program.
In 1965, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee allowed the use of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (239 W. Washington Street) to house the first federally funded bilingual Head Start in the city (and one of the first in the nation). Renamed later Guadalupe Head Start Program, it has expanded significantly in a partnership with the Social Development Commission. This program has its administrative offices and a Resource Center at the Loyola Complex on 36th St. and Mitchell, and it serves approximately 600 children and their families at six (6) sites throughout the inner city.
Head Start provides child health and nutrition services as well as specialized support to children with special needs. Through the Family Resource Center, family support and training is provided to parents. In collaboration with Parents Plus, Head Start parents may enroll in a program called Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Children (HIPPY) and in the Parents as Teachers program. Both promote school readiness and early literacy through parent education and child development; these services are provided bilingually.
Today, Guadalupe Center staff and parents are themselves at the center of important pioneering work, supporting universal early education for all children. The Council’s early education programs will surely contribute to improved academic performance when these children enter elementary education.
The Council’s first Guadalupe Head Start Center served as a model for other bilingual programs in the nation. Parents and staff members of this center were the first to demand bilingual programs from the Milwaukee Public Schools. After the establishment of the first bilingual program in Vieau Elementary School in 1967, MPS Latino parents led a grassroots movement in support of bilingual education. This created the only K-12 program in the nation fully supportive of bilingualism. Today, Milwaukee children can chose from an array of programs that promote learning in English and another language.
The Council has a vast experience in bilingual childhood education. It is recognized as a leader by key child a
dvocacy organizations at the local and national level. It has partnerships with agencies such as the Wisconsin Early Childhood Centers of Excellence, the NAEYC, St. Joseph Hospital, United Community Center, Curative Care Network, Social Development Commission, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Parenting Network, Parents Plus, and the Milwaukee Public Library.
Recent studies show that there continues to be a great need among Milwaukee’s low-income families for a comprehensive, family supportive, bilingual child development program.Educational benefits: The Children benefit from the Head Start curriculum, which supports emerging literacy and school readiness. Serving mostly Spanish-speaking children, the Guadalupe program truly embraces and encourages bilingualism amongst their children. Once the children grow to adulthood, this bilingualism will give them a considerable advantage as they prepare for a career. Health benefits: Guadalupe Head Start promotes healthy physical, emotional and intellectual development of its children. The program assures that each child receives a complete developmental assessment and health screening.
Family focus: Encouraging parents to take an active role in the education of their young children, Guadalupe Head Start provides a family support specialist to help parents strengthen their abilities as educators. Parents are also given the opportunity to assist in program planning and are always welcome to participate in program activities.Guadalupe Head Start began in 1965 and is one of the first bilingual Head Start programs in the nation. It is federally funded and operates on a school year calendar.
