About
Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start is part of the federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which include education and cognitive development services along with health, nutrition, social, and other services determined by family needs assessments. The program includes service models such as center- or school-based options, family child care homes, and home-based weekly visits with periodic group learning experiences.
• Ages: 0–5 years old
• Price: Services may be free to eligible families.
Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start offers a school readiness program for children ages birth to five at locations throughout Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, and Mercer counties in New Jersey, as well as Early Head Start locations across Philadelphia, Pa. Transportation is available at many sites. Head Start serves preschool-age children and their families, and many Head Start programs also provide Early Head Start services for infants, toddlers, pregnant women, and their families who have incomes below the federal poverty level.
Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher and builds relationships with families that include family well-being, positive parent-child relationships, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and community, and families as advocates and leaders.
Early Head Start is a federally funded community-based program for low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women. The mission of Early Head Start is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, to enhance the development of very young children, and to promote healthy family functioning.
Since 1965, more than 30 million low-income children and their families have received comprehensive Head Start services to increase their school readiness, and over a million children are served by Head Start programs every year in every U.S. state and territory and in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Since 1965, more than 30 million low-income children and their families have received Head Start services.
Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start is part of Gateway Community Action Partnership, which plans community food distribution events in Bridgeton and Penns Grove in December 2025. Children from Gateway Community Action Partnership’s Head Start programs and their families will take part in a virtual hands-on pottery experience with The Barn Studio of Art in Millville.
The leadership team for Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start includes multiple site directors: Shirley Woody (Director, ACCC Gateway Head Start/ELC, Mays Landing, NJ); Amara Azad and Jamie Spence (Directors, Gateway Head Start Early Education Center, Atlantic City, NJ); Dionna Reed (Director, Galloway Head Start, Smithville, NJ); Juan Uribe (Director, Hammonton Head Start, Hammonton, NJ, and Buena Vista Head Start, Newtonville, NJ); Paola Puerta (Director, Linwood Early Education Center, Linwood, NJ); Zobaria Ansari (Director, Pleasantville Head Start, Pleasantville, NJ); Maria Gomez (Director, Egg Harbor Township Head Start, Egg Harbor Township, NJ); Karen Houser (Director, Woodbine Head Start, Woodbine, NJ); Gregory Johnson (Director, Villas Early Education Center, Villas, NJ); Britney Akilli (Director, Cheryl Chadwick Early Learning Center/Early Head Start, Bridgeton, NJ); Nikiemma Brown (Director, Glassboro Head Start, Glassboro, NJ); Pauletta Jackson (Director, Paulsboro Head Start, Paulsboro, NJ); Dionne Pitts (Director, Penns Grove II Early Head Start/Head Start Early Childhood Learning Center, Penns Grove, NJ); Damita White Morris (Director, River's Edge Head Start, Bridgeton, NJ); and Ebony Har (Director, Vineland II Head Start, Vineland, NJ).
Last updated January 20, 2026.
• Ages: 0–5 years old
• Price: Services may be free to eligible families.
Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start offers a school readiness program for children ages birth to five at locations throughout Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem, and Mercer counties in New Jersey, as well as Early Head Start locations across Philadelphia, Pa. Transportation is available at many sites. Head Start serves preschool-age children and their families, and many Head Start programs also provide Early Head Start services for infants, toddlers, pregnant women, and their families who have incomes below the federal poverty level.
Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children ages birth to five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Head Start services are designed to be responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their child's first and most important teacher and builds relationships with families that include family well-being, positive parent-child relationships, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and community, and families as advocates and leaders.
Early Head Start is a federally funded community-based program for low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women. The mission of Early Head Start is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, to enhance the development of very young children, and to promote healthy family functioning.
Since 1965, more than 30 million low-income children and their families have received comprehensive Head Start services to increase their school readiness, and over a million children are served by Head Start programs every year in every U.S. state and territory and in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Since 1965, more than 30 million low-income children and their families have received Head Start services.
Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start is part of Gateway Community Action Partnership, which plans community food distribution events in Bridgeton and Penns Grove in December 2025. Children from Gateway Community Action Partnership’s Head Start programs and their families will take part in a virtual hands-on pottery experience with The Barn Studio of Art in Millville.
The leadership team for Gateway Head Start / Early Head Start includes multiple site directors: Shirley Woody (Director, ACCC Gateway Head Start/ELC, Mays Landing, NJ); Amara Azad and Jamie Spence (Directors, Gateway Head Start Early Education Center, Atlantic City, NJ); Dionna Reed (Director, Galloway Head Start, Smithville, NJ); Juan Uribe (Director, Hammonton Head Start, Hammonton, NJ, and Buena Vista Head Start, Newtonville, NJ); Paola Puerta (Director, Linwood Early Education Center, Linwood, NJ); Zobaria Ansari (Director, Pleasantville Head Start, Pleasantville, NJ); Maria Gomez (Director, Egg Harbor Township Head Start, Egg Harbor Township, NJ); Karen Houser (Director, Woodbine Head Start, Woodbine, NJ); Gregory Johnson (Director, Villas Early Education Center, Villas, NJ); Britney Akilli (Director, Cheryl Chadwick Early Learning Center/Early Head Start, Bridgeton, NJ); Nikiemma Brown (Director, Glassboro Head Start, Glassboro, NJ); Pauletta Jackson (Director, Paulsboro Head Start, Paulsboro, NJ); Dionne Pitts (Director, Penns Grove II Early Head Start/Head Start Early Childhood Learning Center, Penns Grove, NJ); Damita White Morris (Director, River's Edge Head Start, Bridgeton, NJ); and Ebony Har (Director, Vineland II Head Start, Vineland, NJ).
Last updated January 20, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.