Head Start

Community Teamwork, Inc.
126 Phoenix Ave.
Lowell, MA 01852
(978) 454-5100

James A. Houlares
Early Learning Center

Head Start children Head Start, a flagship program of the War on Poverty, began in 1965 as an eight week summer program. Today, it combines Head Start and Early Head Start, providing Lowell with a comprehensive array of services that gives children education, health, dental, social and nutritional services year round.

Head Start provides low-income children with a unique pre-school program that promotes cognitive, physical and emotional development. Early Head Start, introduced in 1994, extends these comprehensive services to children birth to three years of age. Head Start and Early Head Start Programming are offered at all of the Divisions center-based and selected family child care homes.

The James A. Houlares Early Leaning Center is a state-of-the-art facility, conveniently located at the intersection of Rt. 495 & Rt. 38 in Lowell. It offers a safe environment that is perfect for learning. All 28 classrooms, staffed by dedicated professionals and licensed teachers, are surrounded by bright attractive colors and creative expressions of art. The Center was named in honor of retired Head Start Director James A. Houlares who, over the course of his 32 year career at CTI, carried out vital child care education and care programs to thousands of Greater Lowell children and their families.

Community Teamwork's Early Learning Programs provide comprehensive child development services to families throughout Greater Lowell and at satellite sites in Billerica and Pepperell. Services include the following:

* Transportation
* Developmental Screenings
* Health and Nutritional Services
* Family Support Services
* Adult Training and Education
* Home Visiting

Head Start Policy Council
An important component to our Head Start / Early Head Start Programming is the Head Start Policy Council. The Council is composed of parents of children currently or formerly enrolled in the Head Start Program and representatives of relevant community agencies. Under Federal Law, the Head Start Policy Council has a unique relationship with the agency. All major hiring's and major policy changes in the Head Start Program must be approved by the Policy Council.

Parents play a big role in all CTI programming. While their children attend classes, parents can also attend Adult Basic Education Classes classes right at the Center. Parents may work toward their GED or take ESL (English as a Second Language) Classes from September through June. Computer training classes are also offered periodically throughout the school year.

For more information about the James A. Houlares Early Learning Center, call (978) 454-5100 or visit the Center located at:

James A. Houlares Early Learning Center, 126 Phoenix Ave., Lowell, MA 01852