ver 25 million served… Orange County Head Start, Inc. (OCHS) is proud to be one of over 2,000 Head Start agencies nationwide that have worked tirelessly to empower children and families for over 40 years! At the beginning of last year, OCHS had as its principle goal to become a more accountable organization to you – our community partner; to the children and families we serve; and to ourselves. Well, we definitely met our goal last year. Throughout this report you will find many examples of our efforts towards accountability – development and enforcement of new policies and procedures; extensive Board and Policy Council training, and annual financial and management audits. We also underwent our tri-annual review by the federal government, and received a “good bill of health.” To quote a federal reviewer, “OCHS has become a true example of the meaning and purpose of Head Start … helping families achieve their dreams one building block at a time.”

You will also find success stories of the people within our agency that make OCHS a “living organization.” You will read about staff, parents, and programs that have made a difference or whose lives have changed due to any one of our special initiatives. The Nguyen family story will highlight the impact of Dads Matter, while the Guzman story will highlight how family partnerships can transform a life. At OCHS, we work day in and day out to provide our children with the foundation necessary to catapult them into the future. Little Matthew’s story is only one example of the great work our teaching staff do on a daily basis. Finally, we continue to honor Ms. Doris Wood, who just received a California Lifetime Achievement Award for 40 years of service to families in Orange County.

The dream for our organization’s future is to continue to be the county’s champion for children (especially children without a voice), the leader in early childhood education, and the launching pad for families to realize their dreams.