FACES (Families and Children Experiencing Success), an Early Head Start program, provides comprehensive early childhood development and family support services to high risk pregnant women and families with children from birth to 3 years in Phoenix.

Our year-round, full day center based program at the Virginia G. Piper Child and Family Center serves 48 toddlers ages one and two in classroom settings. Low teacher-child ratios and small group sizes ensure that services are individualized and that children have opportunities to form healthy attachments with their teachers. Children receive two meals and two snacks daily to meet their nutritional needs and myriad opportunities to develop the physical, social and emotional skills they will need to succeed in school.  Parents are welcome in the classrooms and receive monthly home visits from their child's teacher to build strong home and classroom connections.

 An additional 36 pregnant women and families with children under the age of three receive services through weekly home visits from their Family Support Specialist.  They bring activities into the home that promote parenting skills and healthy child development and connect families with other needed community services and resources.  Families are also offered bi-monthly opportunities to come together with other families to reduce social isolation, become more aware of resources and to develop a sense of community.

For all families enrolled in FACES, the goals are to:

• Promote healthy child development
• Help parents build strong relationships with their child
• Connect children and families with needed community resources 
• Support families as they move towards self-sufficiency

In partnership with parents, the total needs of each child and their families are continually assessed to develop goals and intervention strategies that build on family strengths.  When children approach the age of three, FACES helps parents transition them to other early childhood education programs, including Head Start, as needed.