Our High-Quality Comprehensive Services
How we Help Children and Families
Early Learning Essentials stands out from other preschools by emphasizing a holistic approach to early childhood education and relying on parental involvement.
We rely on parental and community involvement, including volunteer time to help you reach your goals. As a Head Start program, we are required to match 20% of our grant funding through in-kind contributions from parents and community volunteers through activities such as time in the classroom, helping your child learn at home, (school-to-home), serving as a parent committee officer, or assisting with classroom or school projects.
This involvement fosters community, empowers parents, and maximizes resources to create a supportive learning environment for children and families. Below is more information about each of our services.
High-Quality Preschool
We optimize this critical period of brain development by providing children with the most stimulating preschool environment possible. This includes individualizing services and using evidence-based and developmentally-appropriate curricula. We address the development of the whole child because healthy early child development, includes social/emotional, physical and linguistic/cognitive development (each equally important), all of which strongly affects mental and physical health, promotes literacy and numeracy skills, and life success.
Our seven school readiness goals span across 12 areas of development and learning objectives using 99 dimensions to measure progress and are aligned with national, state and local school early learning expectations.
Family Services
We partner with parents as the child’s primary educator and empower families to set and reach their goals to become self-reliant. We build partnerships and bridges between families, communities, and schools in order to create a shared community responsibility for children to thrive in an environment that provides the conditions for healthy, safe learning.
Health Services
Early childhood is a time of rapid development in body systems that are critical to good health and learning. We leverage this window of opportunity conducting and/or referring out for crucial health screenings to identify and address any concerns. We make sure families have access to an ongoing source of medical and dental care and foster healthy eating and health practices in a child’s early years to increase their cognitive development and ability to learn for years to come.
In circumstances when there are health needs that our teachers need to know about for a child’s safety, a Child Health Plan form will be given to the parent to fill out along with the child’s doctor. Child Health Plans must be returned to staff before the first day of school before child is able to attend.
Children needing routine or emergency medication in class, an Authorization to Administer Medication form will need to be filled out by the child’s doctor. The Authorization to Administer Medication Form must be returned to staff prior to the first day of school before child is be able to attend.
Upon Entry in the program all children receive a series of health and developmental screenings. These screenings allow us to identify any potential health impediments to children’s development and educational attainment. It is critical that we complete these screenings in a timely manner so as to adapt our support and services as needed. Listed below are the screenings we are required to complete for each child. Below the list is a document further detailing each of these screenings.
- 45-Day screenings
- Hearing
- Vision
- 90-Day screenings
- Blood pressure
- Growth assessment
- Hematocrit/Hemoglobin
- Blood Lead
We partner with parents to ensure children receive annual physical and dental exam so children are healthy and/or receiving any needed treatment
A Special Meal Plan will be developed if your child has special dietary needs. Please obtain documentation from your child’s doctor noting the allergy/intolerance and appropriate substitution. To ensure safety, child may not attend class until the doctor statement is received and the special meal accommodation plan is completed.
We utilize a Cycle Menu. Children who attend a morning class, are served breakfast and lunch. Children attending an afternoon class, are served lunch upon arrival and a snack. Extended day classes are served all three meals as well as on Fridays. Meals are served family style to extend learning opportunities.
Nutrition Services
The preschool years are an influential time for developing healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. Nutrition is incorporated in classroom activities. We serve nutritious, unprocessed, safe foods prepared in on-site kitchens that are inspected by and comply with County Health Department regulations. Our program participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) which follows USDA guidelines.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of
hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Disability Services
Early Learning Essentials is a program of inclusion. We collaborate with school districts so children receive developmentally appropriate disability services as outlined in Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). We work closely with local agencies responsible for implementing IDEA so children enrolled in our program receive the full range of services offered to all children.
We use research-based developmental assessment tools to learn where to best start working with children. Please complete the ASQ online prior to enrollment here:
Mental Health Services
Emotional wellness lays the foundation for learning and positive well-being. We use research-based screening, observation, and assessment tools to identify and document any concerns, difficulties, progress, and success. We provide in-house mental health consultation services and/or refer out to community partners for needed services and/or clinical intervention services for high-risk situations. We cultivate emotional intelligence through a self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and conscious discipline.
Early Head Start Services
Early Head Start is a prenatal-3, infant/toddler program. We provide home-based, early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to infants and toddlers and their families, and pregnant women and their families. This service is available in Juab county and areas south of and including Spanish Fork.
Services are provided through weekly home visits to each enrolled child and family. A Family Educator provides child-focused visits that promote the parents’ ability to support the child’s development. Twice per month, the program offers opportunities for parents and children to come together as a group in the classroom for learning, discussion, and socialization activity.
Bus Stop Service
Limited bus stop service may be available at our site in Nephi and surrounding remote areas in Juab county only. Bus services may be provided for children enrolled in some classes in Nephi on a limited basis. Bus service consists of bus stops within set geographical boundaries. At Early Learning Essentials the school bus is considered to be an extension of the classroom. Bus monitors ride along on the bus route and engage children in learning activities while the bus driver ensures children are transported safely.
