Starting in March and throughout the summer, the Montgomery County Public Schools Head Start and Prekindergarten programs are recruiting children who will be 4 years old by September 1, 2008, for the 2008–2009 school year. Prekindergarten and Head Start programs provide comprehensive services including preschool education, health and social services, and parent involvement for low-income families, including children with disabilities.

Walk-in applications are being accepted Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141 in Rockville. Parents also can register their children at other locations. Call the Prekindergarten/Head Start Unit at 301-230-0676 for information about documents parents must bring to complete the registration and for a list of additional registration locations and times. Information also is on the MCPS web site at the link below.

Special opportunities to register will be available at the Early Childhood Readiness Fair on Friday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring. The fair is free and open to parents with children from birth to 5 years old. For more information on the fair, call the Judy Center at 301-431-7696.