YOUNGSTOWN — Alta Care Group hosted a free community enrollment event Thursday in the Covelli Centre parking lot.

During the informational fun day adults could enroll their child in Head Start or Early Head Start programs.

The organization’s mission is to support the behavioral, educational, emotional, social and physical well-being of Mahoning and Trumbull County children, adolescents, young adults and their families.

“This is a way to talk to the parents face-to-face and let them know about health-related things they need for their child and about different health programs that are offered through Head Start,” said Paulette Hodge, who will retire at the end of this year after 26 years as a Head Start health assistant.

Information booths, giveaways and face painting were available. Visitors also could talk to a fireman or policeman and view the Alta school bus.

“This event not only brings awareness to the programs and services that we offer in Mahoning and Trumbull counties plus hopefully increase enrollment but, we also have an employment table for the various positions at our organization,” said Angela Church-Bukus, family and community service manager with Alta Care Group.

Alta Care Group and Head Start educators offered such items as books, small toys for children, drinks, chips, cotton candy as well as much-needed handheld fans with Head Start information on them.

Since partnering in Trumbull County with the Head Start programs that serve children ages 3-5 and Early Head Start children starting at six weeks of age, Alta Care Group is now in over 20 locations in both counties.

“I am from the Class of 1990,” said Kayshia Washington, who was at the SOBE Concerned Citizens booth.

She is a former Head Start child who went on to further her education with a master’s degree and is now a community organizer. Her mother, Denise Washington, is the ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance processes) manager for Alta Head Start and also worked at the event.

Parents and guardians stood patiently in line to register children at multiple enrollment stations. Anyone can apply, but they do have to meet specific income requirements and have proof of residency in either Mahoning or Trumbull Counties.

“Education is always good, especially when you start them early,” said one mother as she filled out paperwork for her child.

Close to 30 children had been registered for Head Start or Early Head Star within the first couple of hours of the daylong event.

“We stay open until 6 p.m. because some parents work until 5,” Church-Bukus said.

She said that having registration for both counties worked out because some people may live in Trumbull County, but work in Mahoning County, so they can register children for their residential county on a break from their job.

Information booths included Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio, SOBE Concerned Citizens, STEAM Academy of Warren, New Vision Behavioral Health, Mercy Health Hispanic Health, Mercy Health Resource Mothers and Southside Academy.

Alta Care Group has offered this event for more than five years. It also has programs for pregnant women.

“It is going well. We have a crowd of parents signing up their children,” Hodge said.

Anyone who missed registering their children for Head Start or Early Head Start, a second enrollment event is scheduled on July 24 at Alta’s Monroe Street location in Warren.

New and returning families can contact Alta Care Group about Head Start and Early Head Start at 330-736-0071.