Bradford-Tioga Head Start Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF HIGH QUALITY SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES GROW AND THRIVE. SERVICES PROVIDED ARE HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND PRE-K FOR NEWBORNS TO CHILDREN AGED FIVE AND PREGNANT WOMEN.
- Income
- $8.2 million
- Spending
- $8.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 100%
- Employees
- 117
- Volunteers
- 261
- Highest pay
- $141,207, vp/asst. executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $7.5 million spent. BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PROVIDES THREE PRIMARY PROGRAMS: HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND PA PRE-K COUNTS. HEAD START IS A FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDED PROGRAM AND PA PRE-K COUNTS IS A STATE-FUNDED PROGRAM; ALL OF WHICH ARE AT NO COST TO FAMILIES. ALL PROGRAMS PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESS BY ENHANCING THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN THROUGH THE PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL, HEALTH, NUTRITIONAL, SOCIAL, AND OTHER SERVICES TO ENROLLED CHILDREN (AGES 3-5) AND THEIR FAMILIES. EARLY HEAD START (EHS) IS A FEDERAL HOME-BASED PROGRAM OFFERED AT NO COST THAT PROVIDES PARENTING SKILLS DURING PERSONALIZED WEEKLY VISITS. EHS PROVIDES EDUCATION AS WELL AS FREE HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND SOCIAL SERVICES. (CONTINUED ON SCH O) THE PROGRAM HAS NINETEEN (19) PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND SIX (6) EARLY HEAD START SERVICE AREAS THROUGHOUT BRADFORD AND TIOGA COUNTIES.BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS PROVIDE EITHER 5.5 OR 5.75 HOURS A DAY, 180 DAYS A YEAR TO CHILDREN. BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. PROVIDES IN PERSON SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR; HOWEVER, IF MAKE-UP DAYS ARE EXHAUSTED, THE PROGRAM CAN USE THE PROGRAM DEVELOPED FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN. THE FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN (FIP) WAS DEVELOPED IN CASE A CLASSROOM NEEDS TO PIVOT TO REMOTE LEARNING, WHEN NECESSARY. THE FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION PLAN WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING AND THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. EACH YEAR THE PROGRAM WORKS WITH FAMILIES TO CREATE GOALS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL FAMILY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. THOSE GOALS ARE DEVELOPED AND EMBEDDED INTO A DOCUMENT CALLED A FAMILY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. AT THE END OF THE 2024-25 PROGRAM YEAR, FAMILIES ENROLLED IN HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START COMPLETED 82% OF THOSE ESTABLISHED GOALS. SCHOOL READINESS IS A MAJOR AREA OF FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN CHILDREN ARE READY FOR SCHOOL, THEIR SCHOOL SUCCESS RATE INCREASES. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, 89% OF THE PRESCHOOL CHILDREN MET OR EXCEEDED SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES AND 93% MET OR EXCEEDED APPROACHES TO LEARNING OUTCOMES. THERE WERE ALSO GAINS IN PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, 98% OF THE CHILDREN EITHER MET OR EXCEEDED REQUIRED EXPECTATIONS, COGNITION AT 92% MEETING AND/OR EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS AND 89% MET OR EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS IN LANGUAGE AND LITERACY. OVERALL, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT PRESCHOOL SCHOOL READINESS GAINS THROUGHOUT THE 2024-25 PROGRAM YEAR. IN THE EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM, THE HIGHEST SCHOOL READINESS ACHIEVEMENT WAS IN COGNITION WITH 92% OF THE CHILDREN MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS AND 89% MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS IN APPROACHES TO LEARNING. THE AREA OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS AT 88% AND THE LOWEST TWO AREAS FOR EARLY HEAD START WERE SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL AND LANGUAGE/LITERACY AT 81%. ALL AREAS SHOWED GAINS. REGARDING HEALTH SERVICES OUTCOMES, 87% OF EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN AND 89% OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAD UP-TO-DATE IMMUNIZATIONS. DENTAL CARE IS A PRIMARY AREA OF NEED, AND RECORDS INDICATE THAT 96% OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE A DENTAL HOME AND 63% OF EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN HAD A DENTAL HOME WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FOR EARLY HEAD START DUE TO THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE LAUREL HEALTH DENTAL SERVICES. THE PROGRAM EMPLOYS APPROXIMATELY 106 STAFF WHEN ALL POSITIONS ARE FILLED. STAFF TURNOVER CONTINUES TO REMAIN LOW FOR THE PROGRAM JUST AVERAGING AROUND 1.9% FOR THE YEAR. ALL INJURIES AND/OR ACCIDENTS INDICATED MOST STAFF INCIDENTS WERE MINOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. CHILD TURNOVER WAS AT 1.5% FOR BOTH EARLY HEAD START AND PRESCHOOL.STAFF WELLNESS IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT THAT CONTINUES IN THE PROGRAM. BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. WELLNESS TEAM ARE VERY ACTIVE AND PROVIDE A SERIES OF WELLNESS ACTIVITIES FOR STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THEY ALSO KICKED OFF THE YEAR WITH SNEAKERS FOR ALL STAFF. THE MEDICAL INSURANCE PROGRAM PROVIDES WELLNESS COACHES, AND AN EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO EMPLOYEES IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PROGRAM'S INSURANCE PLAN. IN THE 2024-25 PROGRAM YEAR, EMPLOYEES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A STEPS CHALLENGE TO WALK 10,000 STEPS A DAY AND PRIZES GIVEN AND A SNACK CHALLENGE. THE WELLNESS TEAM ALSO SET UP A WATER CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYEES AND ASKED THEM TO DRINK AT LEAST SIXTY-FOUR FLUID OUNCES OF WATER A DAY AND PRIZES WERE PROVIDED. THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OFTEN PROVIDED WELLNESS INFORMATION AND TIPS FOR STAFF. THE PROGRAM CONDUCTS A STAFF SATISFACTION SURVEY EVERY THREE YEARS WITH THE MOST RECENT SURVEY COMPLETED IN MAY 2024. THE OUTCOMES INDICATED THAT STAFF ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR EMPLOYMENT WITH BRADFORD-TIOGA HEAD START, INC. HOWEVER, THERE ARE TWO AREAS THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TO INCREASE EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION. THOSE TWO AREAS INCLUDE THE SHARING OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION PROVIDED BY CENTRAL OFFICE AND COMPETITIVE PAY. THE PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN SALARY/BENEFIT SURVEYS AND COLLECTS COMPARABLE DATA TO HELP IDENTIFY SALARY ISSUES. SEVENTY-ONE OUT OF ONE-HUNDRED AND FOUR STAFF PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS REMAINED SOLID. ALL REQUIRED POSITIONS ON THE BOARD WERE FILLED AND MET THE HEAD START PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. THOSE INCLUDE A LICENSED ATTORNEY, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPERT, FISCAL EXPERT, AND EITHER A PRESENT OR PAST PARENT. THE BOARD REMAINED STABLE AND WAS AT A 9-MEMBER COMPOSITION THROUGHOUT THE 2024-25 PROGRAM YEAR.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2011.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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