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Media Kit

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About Us

East Coast Migrant Head Start Project was established in 1974, through a grant to the Leadership of Christian Women, to provide services to migrant farmworkers and their children. Under the leadership of Sister Geraldine O’Brien, Head Start centers were opened along the east coast and mid-west of the United States to ensure continuity of services as families migrated to work in agriculture. Today, ECMHSP operates at 48 educational campuses and serves approximately 3,000 children annually.

Our Interim CEO

John Meditto is a member of our Executive Team, holding the role of Chief Legal Officer. In this capacity, he is responsible for safeguarding the interests of ECMHSP through the management of all legal affairs within the organization. Under John's leadership, the Director of Quality Assurance and the Director of Legal Compliance and Collaboration serve as his direct reports, ensuring that ECMHSP maintains the highest standards of quality assurance and legal compliance.


Beyond his role as Chief Legal Officer, John also serves as the Head Start Director for ECMHSP, a testament to his multifaceted contributions to our organization's mission.

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Additionally, he volunteers his time and expertise as the Board Chair of ECMHSP's sister nonprofit, The Foundation for Farmworkers, further extending his commitment to the well-being of farmworker communities. John is a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar and the New York State Bar. He holds a degree from The University of Virginia School of Law and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of George Washington University.

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Our Services

We serve farmworker families in educational campuses around North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Virginia. In areas where ECMHSP lacks a local presence, we partner with delegate agencies, that are other non-profit organizations, which deliver services to the same high standards as we do. We also have a corporate office in North Carolina and an administrative office in Washington D.C.

Our Mission

East Coast Migrant Head Start Project is committed to preparing the children of migrant and seasonal farm-workers for success.  We do this by providing holistic, high quality early childhood education services for children and families in a nurturing, culturally sensitive environment and by providing services and advocating for children and families in their other areas of need, something they could not get anywhere else.

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East Coast Migrant Head Start Project Families; A Snapshot

  • 79% of families are below the federal poverty index guidelines.

  • 72% of children are seasonal, and 28% of children are migrants.

  • 93% of families identify as Hispanic/Latino.

  • 80% of families speak Spanish as their primary language.

  • 12% of families speak English as their primary language.

  • 7% of families speak Indigenous or Haitian Creole as their language.

  • Enrollment of Haitian Creole families is increasing; there are also more mixed-race families, Indigenous families, and African families.

  • 55% of families are two-parent families, and 425 are single parents.

  • 72% of heads of households have less than a high-school diploma.

  • 45% of families are enrolled in the SNAP program

  • 24% of staff are former Head Start parents.

  • 95% of children are up to date on immunizations, or 77% are up to date on the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) recommended for their age.

  • 51% of children aged 0-3

  • 49% of children aged 3-5

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Logos for Download

Contact Information

2301 Sugar Bush Road, Suite 400, Raleigh, North Carolina  27612

Telephone: 919-270-9195   Email: communications@ecmhsp.org

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2301 Sugar Bush Road, Suite 400, Raleigh, North Carolina  27612

Telephone: (800) 655-6831 - (919) 420-0334   Email: information@ecmhsp.org

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This website is supported by Grant Number 90CM009875 from the Office of Head Start 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 East Coast Migrant Head Start Project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start. 

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