Become a Volunteer

At Head Start and Early Head Start, we rely on the involvement and support of parents and community members. Without them, we would not be able to provide high quality childcare and early childhood education to thousands of low-income children in the Boston area.

Give Children Hands-On Help

Not only are parents encouraged and welcome to participate in every aspect of the Head Start and Early Head Start program, but they can also support the work being done in their children’s classroom by signing on as volunteers. The same is true for members of the community who may not currently have children enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start. Head Start volunteers are educated about child development, which may later qualify them for training to become employed in the childcare field. And volunteering with Head Start, or serving on one of Head Start’s many committees, has been known to improve parents’ self-confidence and ability to make decisions.

Head Start volunteers help teachers and staff members do the following activities with children:

• Make art
• Play with blocks or table toys
• Complete science activities
• Dance to music
• Read books
• Pretend to play house

Volunteers also help to supervise children while they learn to do the following:

• Work in a small group with other children
• Play outdoors on safe playground equipment
• Wash their hands before meals
• Eat nutritious snacks and meals
• Brush their teeth after meals

Parent volunteers are also invited to become involved in developing the program’s curriculum and approach to education. They receive opportunities to increase their child observation skills and share assessments, from which new learning experiences are planned.

Volunteer Today, Find a Career Tomorrow

Volunteering for Head Start and Early Head Start programs can lead to career opportunities, as Head Start volunteers gain access to related educational services and job openings. One third of Head Start staff members were introduced to the program as parents of Head Start children, many of whom served as volunteers. Community members are also valued as volunteers, many of whom have gone on to have a career with Head Start or Early Head Start.

What is Needed to Be a Volunteer

All regular volunteers need to show proof that they are free of communicable disease, as evidenced by certain immunizations and a tuberculin screening.

Regular volunteers providing child care and support services in a program licensed and/or funded by the Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC) will undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and a Department of Social Services (DSS) Background Record Check prior to participating in the program.