The Hillsborough Head Start Community Foundation, Inc. was founded in March 1995 to promote community awareness of and provide enhancement to the Hillsborough County Head Start program. The Hillsborough Head Start Community Foundation is a part-time volunteer board comprised of community members, early education experts, elected officials and private businesspersons. The membership also includes Head Start and Early Head Start parent representatives from the Head Start Policy Council. The Hillsborough Head Start Community Foundation’s mission is to:

• increase public awareness of the goals and objectives of Head Start in Hillsborough County and its role in the community;
• increase community participation in the Hillsborough Head Start effort;
• contribute to improving the quality of Hillsborough Head Start services to children and families;
• provide services to and for Hillsborough Head Start parents and children; and serve as a corporate body to receive and administer grant funds to supplement the Head Start grant.

The Foundation’s commitment to assist Head Start has led to many projects including:

• The Foundation’s annual Book Bag Project, which purchases backpacks and school supplies for all children transitioning out of Head Start and entering Kindergarten. To date, the Foundation has contributed over 7,000 backpacks with school supplies to Head Start children transitioning into Kindergarten.
• Tens of thousands of dollars worth of scholarships for Head Start parents who wish to attend post-secondary institutions.
• Literacy focused efforts including the purchase of sets of Big Books for Head Start classrooms and successfully receiving $12,500 in grants from the Lighting Foundation to enhance Head Start’s Family Literacy Efforts.
• The Foundation's annual fundraising and awards event.
  

Visit the Head Start Foundation Site