FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 9, 2009
Contact: Charles K. Steitz
Public Affairs Officer
Communications Specialist
Telephone DSN: 644-5657

TORII STATION, Okinawa, Japan -- DoDDS Pacific Elementary Schools are accepting applications for the Sure Start program.  Sure Start is a preschool program based on the successful Head Start program and is designed to serve those children who may need additional experiences before entering kindergarten. 

The comprehensive Sure Start consists of four equally important components:

• The educational component offers children a variety of learning activities that encourage their social-emotional, cognitive, and physical growth.
• The health component provides children with comprehensive medical, dental, health, and special needs screening.
• The social services component extends outwards to families, providing referrals and linkages with community resources.
• The parent involvement component connects the school to the home because we believe children benefit most when parents are partners with the school in their children’s education. Parents must agree to volunteer their time as a precondition to their child’s enrollment.  Thirty hours per parent is required for each participating family.

All Sure Start students must be command sponsored.  In order to keep this program consistent with DoDDS kindergarten enrollment dates, 4 year-old children who are considered for Sure Start must have a birth date on or before September 1, 2009.  Four year olds whose sponsor is equivalent of E-4/GS-4/NAF2/NSPS1 and below have first priority for enrollment in Sure Start.  Considerations for enrollment may include one or more of the following criteria:

• Family Income
• Child of low birth weight
• Child has a parent who was a teenager when first child was born
• Child is in a family headed by a single parent
• Child has three or more siblings close in age
• Child has an older sibling with a severe disability
• Child has a parent on remote assignment for 3 or more months
• Child has a parent who has not graduated from high school
• Parent’s primary language is not English

Students enrolled in the Sure Start Program are selected by the Sure Start Selection Committee, which includes school and base services personnel. Sure Start Applications are available at the following DoDDS Pacific Elementary schools. Please check with the school in your community for application deadlines and start date for the program.