Northeast Texas Opportunities, Inc. Head Start

Northeast Texas Opportunities, Inc. was chartered in 1970 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit Community Action Agency. Since that date we have served the needs of the elderly, low income, and handicapped in our eight county region. These counties include: Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River and Titus. During the past thirty years, we have successfully operated many diverse programs including: Elderly Nutrition (congregate meal sites and home-delivered meals) under Texas Department on Aging; Transportation(Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation, Rural Transit Authority, Aging Transportation, and Section 5310) under Texas Department of Transportation; Transportation (Section 5311 Rural Public Transportation, Rural Transit Authority, Aging Transportation, and Section 5310) under Texas Department of Transportation; Case Management under the Community Services Block Grant funded through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; Utility payment assistance (Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program) also under the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; Medical Transportation Program transporting clients on the Medicare/Medicaid Program to and from medical facilities funded through the Texas Department of Health. While we have witnessed the depletion and consolidation of several programs since the agency conception date, new programs such as the CHIPS (Children’s Health Insurance Program) developed by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission and the Food Stamp Information & Education Campaign, In 2003 we discovered that two of our service counties, Franklin and Rains had no Head Start services available. Our agency raised the money to hire a grant writing team to submit a proposal to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families for these two counties during a National Competition. To our joy we were selected to receive this $1,044,686.00 grant to operate a Head Start program in both counties serving 85 children and their families. When Congressman Max Sandlin awarded us the contracts, he announced that we were the first Community Action Agency in the State of Texas to be awarded a Head Start grant in ten years! We opened the centers in Mt. Vernon and Emory in August of 2003.

Head Start generally serves children ages 3 to 5 who meet local eligibility requirements. Pregnant women and children from birth to 3 years of age are eligible for Early Head Start services. Children and families who are homeless, in foster care, or receive TANF or SSI are also eligible for services. Eligibility is determined by Head Start program staff and some families may be eligible for services if they are determined to be at or below the federal poverty level. Some grantees enroll a percentage of children from families with incomes above the Poverty Guidelines as well.

Families are encouraged to apply.

Contact this program directly to ask about eligibility, openings, required documents, and the local application process.