Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services (SACFS) Head Start serves low-income and culturally diverse families in Central Harlem and South Bronx. We are a team of caring professionals with diverse educational and human service backgrounds, committed to providing quality educational and support services to children and their families. Our mission is to educate pre-school children and empower parents to be advocates for themselves and their children, to be positive role models and to become productive members of society.

SACFS is a delegate agency Head Start program and is overseen by a grantee, the New York City Administration for Children's Services.

The Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church founded and sponsored SACFS as a Head Start Program in 1969 in response to a need for a free comprehensive pre-school program for economically disadvantaged children and their families in the Central Harlem community. In June of 1978, the program opened a second site to service children and families in the Bronx. The Bronx Site was one of the first Head Start programs in this culturally diverse community and had a substantial waiting list of children. Since its existence, SACFS has worked collaboratively with parents and other community members to define common goals, interests and concerns to improve the lives of children and families living in these communities. Since its inception, SACFS has provided quality services to over 3,000 low-income children and their families. Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church Head Start became incorporated in 2003 and adopted the name Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services.

Sponsoring Board membership consists of dedicated church members and community partners, some of whom were former parents of the Head Start program.

Board members contribute to the success of the program through the following:

• Identifying and developing resources to augment Federal funds
• Visiting or volunteering in classrooms and other program activities
• Establishing mentoring programs which match Governing Body members with members of the policy groups or other interested individuals
• Obtaining feedback from parents and community members about the quality of services provided by SACFS

The Sponsoring Board meets once a month to plan and review program activities.

Are you interested in serving your community and benefiting children and families? SACFS invites you to become a board member or join the Policy Committee as a community representative. Call (718) 901-0140 Ext 119 for more information.