Children and Family Services

Our Head Start Focus

Community Concepts offers Head Start and Early Head Start Programs in Oxford and Franklin Counties. All programs promote school readiness for children and provide families with a wide range of services to support their health and family well-being. Services are available for families with children ages birth to 5, and for families expecting a baby.

Our licensed Early Learning Centers provide center-based and home-based programs, with childcare options at several locations. CCI also partners with 3 different school districts, offering 9 Pre-Kindergarten classrooms in their public schools using the Head Start standards.

To learn more about our programs and to apply, please scroll down or contact us at:

207-739-6538 or HeadStart@community-concepts.org

Click here to fill out our online application!

For public information purposes about the Child and Adult Food Program, the Maine Department of Education has information available on its non-discriminatory civil rights policies available here.

This website is supported by Grant Number 01CH012777 from the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Community Services.

Full-Day Childcare at our Early Learning Centers

Childcare services are available at our Chisholm (Rumford), Farmington, Jay, Riley (S. Paris), and Wilton Early Learning Centers for children ages 6-weeks to 3 years, and at our Norway and Wilton Early Learning Centers for children ages 3 to 5 years old.

Our Childcare program offers:

Support with accessing health, dental, nutrition, and special education services for your child
Healthy meals and snacks
Parent involvement opportunities
Tools to help children and families succeed.

A weekly fee for childcare is based on the age of your child and your Early Learning Center’s location. We do accept Voucher and Aspire payments.

To apply or if you have any questions, please contact us today!

Phone: 207-739-6538

Email: HeadStart@community-concepts.org

For expectant women and families with children ages birth to 3

Our Early Head Start and Home Visiting Programs offer services for families expecting a baby and families with children ages birth to 3. These programs are available at our Farmington, Jay, Wilton, Chisholm, Riley, and Fryeburg Early Learning Centers.

Early Head Start and Home Visiting offers:

Home-based parent/child activities & support
Support throughout pregnancy
Monthly classroom-based parent-child socialization activities
Center-based, full-day childcare
Support with accessing health, dental, nutrition, and special education services for your child

To apply or if you have any questions, please contact us today!

Phone: 207-739-6538

Email: HeadStart@community-concepts.org

School readiness program for children ages 3 to 5

Our Head Start Preschool/Pre-K Programs support your child’s early learning and development and prepare them to succeed in school. Preschool/Pre-K Programs are available at our Cape Cod, Jay, Wilton, Farmington, Mallett, Chisholm, Norway, Paris, West Paris, Crescent Park, Rowe, Oxford, and Fryeburg Early Learning Centers.

Head Start Preschool/Pre-K offers:

Flexible options for center-based or center-based & in-home services
Education and socialization opportunities to prepare your child for kindergarten success
Healthy meals and snacks
Services for children with special needs
Parent involvement opportunities
Tools to help children and families succeed

To apply or if you have any questions, please contact us today!

Phone: 207-739-6538

Email: HeadStart@community-concepts.org

We are excited to hear from you! To start the application process, please fill out the form linked below to provide your basic information, and a staff member will be reaching out shortly. Thank you!

Link for application:

Apply Online (childplus.net)

If you have general questions about our programming, locations, or application process, please call 207-739-6538 or email HeadStart@community-concepts.org

APPLY NOW

Parenting Workshops

Have parenting questions? Need parenting support? You are not alone! CCI offers online parenting education classes, support groups, workshops, parent/child playgroups, community family events, and connections to other services.

We are currently scheduling these classes and groups for 2026!

Questions? Contact our Prevention Council Community Educator, Ashley Lawrence, at (207) 739-0222 or email alawrence@community-concepts.org

2-Session Class

Fridays on 5/22 and 5/29 10AM – 12PM online.

This is a 2-week course for parents/caregivers of children ages 2-12 designed to manage difficult behavior without spanking, yelling, or arguing using a three-step counting system. To register for this class, please click on the registration link and answer the questions. You will receive an email confirmation after registering. If you have any questions, call Family Resource Center and Prevention Council Manager, Ashley Lawrence, at 207-739-0222, or email alawrence@community-concepts.org.

Rolling Admission - Join Any Time!

(No classes scheduled at this time. Please check back or email us at parentworkshops@community-concepts.org for info on next available sessions.)

Parenting Through Recovery is designed for parents or caregivers working on recovery and wanting to learn more about the effects of substance use on their family, parenting style, and their relationship with their child.

13 Session Class

(No classes scheduled at this time. Please check back or email us at parentworkshops@community-concepts.org for info on next available sessions.)

Nurturing Father is designed to meet the needs and learning styles of any man parenting a child.

8 Session Class

(No classes scheduled at this time. Please check back or email parentworkshops@community-concepts.org for info on next available sessions.)

Learn powerful ways to communicate cooperatively, make co-parenting decisions in the best interest of your children, and avoid the destructive effects that separation or divorce can have on a family.

4-Session Class on Tuesdays

Tuesdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 (Classes are full at this time!)

This is a 4-week course for parents/caregivers of children ages 0-5 that helps build parenting skills through an understanding of child development. To register for this class, please click on the registration link and answer the questions. You will receive an email confirmation after registering. If you have any questions, call Family Resource Center and Prevention Council Manager, Ashley Lawrence, at 207-739-0222, or email alawrence@community-concepts.org.

6 Sessions on Wednesdays

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Wednesdays

(May Registration is full!)

This is a 8-week course for parents/caregivers with children of any age that provides education on the philosophy and skills of Nurturing Parenting. To register for this class, please click on the registration link and answer the questions. You will receive an email confirmation after registering. If you have any questions, call Family Resource Center and Prevention Council Manager, Ashley Lawrence, at 207-739-0222, or email alawrence@community-concepts.org.

(No classes scheduled at this time. Please check back or email us at parentworkshops@community-concepts.org for info on next available sessions.)

Six Session Course – Free Books!

Today’s world brings many risks to our children. Together we will talk about those risks and how to prevent against them. We will learn to protect and help prepare our children to survive and thrive in the world today.

The Active Provider: the risks of today, building character, authority styles, mutual respect, brain development

Cooperation & Communication: handling problems, cooperation, communication and avoiding blocks

Responsibility & Discipline: responsibility, reward/punishment backfire, advanced discipline methods, preventing problems

Building Courage & Self-Esteem: self-esteem, courage of the heart, power of encouragement

Understanding & Redirecting Misbehavior: nature vs. nurture, personality, purpose of behavior, goals of behavior, redirection, power struggles, understanding anger.

School Success: 7 helpful things for parents and teachers, hard conversations, family meetings, and family unity.

Provider Workshops

CCI offers parenting education classes, support groups, parent/child playgroups, community family events, and connections to other services. We also provide educational trainings to providers on Safe Sleep, Mandated Reporting, and the Front Porch Project.

Mandated Reporter? If so, please find a list of dates this training will be offered. We also schedule trainings for individual organizations as needed.

Scheduled upon request.