The Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, Inc., Head Start/State Preschool Program was established in 1965 and currently operates 25 centers and 8 Family Child Care Providers strategically located in Los Angeles County, from East Los Angeles, North East to South East Los Angeles, and San Gabriel Valley.  The program offers education, family and community partnerships, health, mental health, disabilities, and nutrition services to more than 2,017 of children and their families.

Head Start

Plaza receives federal funding through The Los Angeles County Office of Education to provide Head Start services to low income families.  Since 1965, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development services within the Los Angeles county children and families, with a special focus on helping preschoolers develop the early reading and math skills they need to be successful in school. Head Start programs promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families. They engage parents in their children's learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals. Significant emphasis is placed on the involvement of parents in the administration of local Head Start programs.

Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, Inc. is dedicated toward improving the quality of life for residents in the Los Angeles County area.  Its basic mission is to provide an exemplary program of comprehensive services and programs to children and their families.  It develops partnerships and alliances with private industry and government institutions to better serve the public and realize its multifold commitments.  Plaza’s basic programs include the Head Start/State Preschool Program (Half-Day Sessions and Part -Day /Part Year Programs), Early Head Start Program (Full-Day/Full-Year)

The Head Start/State Preschool Program was establish in 1965 and currently operates 25 centers, and 8 Family Child Care Providers strategically located in Los Angeles County, from East Los Angeles, North East to South East Los Angeles, and San Gabriel Valley.  The program offers education, social services, family services, health, mental health, disabilities, and nutrition services to more than 2000 of children and their families.  The program provides critical intervention in substance abuse, employment, literacy and child care to eligible Head Start families.  Plaza’s objective is to increase the access and effectiveness of existing service organizations and brining such services to families in targeted communities.  Plaza believes that providing such resources as education, training and information can reduce if not eliminate the causes or effects of poverty and help alleviate the economic conditions of families.

Early Head Start

In PY 1995, the Early Head Start program was established to serve children from birth to three years of age in recognition of the mounting evidence that the earliest years matter a great deal to children's growth and development. Plaza operates two Early Head Start center-based sites--Clark and Bloomfield centers.  The program also serves children and families in a home based setting and provide services to pregnant mothers.


LAUP

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is an independent public benefit corporation created in 2004 and funded by First 5 LA - the commission established by Proposition 10. LAUP's goal is to make voluntary, high-quality preschool available to every 4-year-old child in Los Angeles County, regardless of their family's income, by 2014.
CACFP

USDA, Is a Child and Adult Care Food Program that plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for many low-income families.  Through this program Plaza enrolled children to receive nutritious meals and snacks. The program is administered through the California Department of Education.