FREMONT, Ohio — More than 2,000 young children took part in Head Start early learning programs through the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership during the 2025-2026 school year, and centers across northwest Ohio are still enrolling students, the Fremont-based agency said in its Oct. 21 report. A total of 2,005 students were enrolled in GLCAP Head Start programs, a milestone the agency summarized as topping 2,000 students served last school year.
The enrollment total covers all of the partnership’s Head Start offerings, including Early Head Start, Head Start, Home-Based Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, according to GLCAP. The agency said 1,744 families were served by Head Start during the school year, making the program a support for parents and caregivers as well as for the children in its classrooms.
Health services were a large part of that work. GLCAP said 1,522 children received preventative and primary health exams through Head Start, and 1,116 children completed a dental exam with the assistance of Head Start. "Head Start impacts families in many different ways," GLCAP Child Development Director Jacquie Wells said in the agency’s Oct. 21 report. "Head Start helps prepare children for kindergarten," Wells said in the report, adding that the program provides educational enrichment for children while families work.
That support for working families showed up in the agency’s numbers as well. GLCAP said 1,281 families were able to work or attend school because of Head Start services, a figure the agency presented as one of the ways the program affects household routines beyond the preschool day itself, by providing a full day of early education and care for enrolled children.
Even though the school year has already begun, GLCAP said its early childhood centers in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wood counties are continuing to enroll students, with additional opportunities available at partner sites in the same region. Firelands Current also reported on Oct. 27 that Head Start centers in Ottawa and Sandusky counties are continuing to enroll children after the start of the school year. Along with full-day preschool, GLCAP said Head Start provides meals and snacks, health, vision, and dental screenings, and family engagement opportunities for children and parents.
Families are eligible for Head Start if household income is at or below federal poverty guidelines — $33,000 in annual income for a family of four, as an example given by GLCAP. The agency said children who are in foster care or experiencing homelessness, as well as children from families receiving SNAP benefits or other public assistance, are also eligible, and it encouraged parents and caregivers to call for details about their own circumstances.
Families who want a complete list of center locations or more information about enrolling can visit www.glcap.org/headstart or call 1-800-775-9767, GLCAP said. The agency’s Stricker Family Development Center in Fremont is among its early childhood sites, and the partnership said enrollment remains open at its centers and partner sites across the five-county region while places are available.