A Standard for Quality: Head Start in California

Today

Judie Englesby-SmithCalifornia Head Start Board MemberFirst 5 Shasta County Commissioner

Early Childhood ConsultantJune 10, 2009

Total funded enrollment as of 8/08 – 104,883Head Start (3 – 5 yrs olds) – 90,695

EHS (0 – 3 yrs) – 7,652Migrant & Seasonal – 5,928

Tribal – 608

California Head Start Fact Sheet – caheadstart.org

Children in Head Start programs receive significantly more health care screenings than their non-Head Start peers.

The number of dental examinations for Head Start children was higher than the number of those given to non-Head Start children.

During their program year, Head Start children showed gains in cooperative classroom behavior, reductions in hyperactive behavior, and improvement in other problem behavior.

Positive impacts for 3- and 4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start on pre-reading, pre-writing, vocabulary, and parent reports of children’s literacy skills.

Parents who participate in Head Start are found to have greater quality of life satisfaction; increased confidence in coping skills; and decreased feelings of anxiety, depression, and sickness

Establish a supportive learning environment for children, parents, and staff …

Recognize that the members of the Head Start community children, families, and staff have roots in many cultures.

Empowerment of Families occurs when program governance is a responsibility shared by families, governing bodies, and staff.

Embrace a comprehensive vision of health for children, families and staff.

Respect the importance of all aspects of an individual’s development, including social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth.

Each child and adult is treated as an individual while at the same time, building a sense of belonging to a group.

Foster relationships with the larger community so that families and staff are respected.

Develop a continuum of care, education, and services that provide stable uninterrupted support to families and children.

Child Development or ECE Parent Involvement Health and Dental Nutrition Mental Health Social Services Services to Children with Disabilities

First created – 1972; revised - 1998 in response to changes in the field

The Performance Standards set a floor of quality standards expected across all HS programs in all areas of service to families, and in program design and management systems

In process of being revised by Office of Head Start for the third time

Reauthorized every 5 years or so Reauthorization Act sets the framework

for Head Start› Looks at research and new trends in ECE and

family services to set priorities

Reauthorization sets funding allocations (funding is determined by annual appropriations)

Past Reauthorizations have included:› Comprehensive Services (1972)› Services to children with Disabilities (1972)› Creation of Early Head Start (1994)› Phonemic Awareness and emphasis on pre-

literacy (1998)› AA degrees for teaching staff (1998)› Performance Measures (1998)

Congressional Goals:“In this reauthorization, we build on many years of lessons learned to set an even better course for the program.  The bill maintains Head Start’s quality services, promotes school readiness, and ensures greater accountability in programs.  It provides better access to programs and services for children, communities, and families in need.  It provides a blueprint for improving the Head Start workforce.  It builds on the highly successful Early Head Start program, and it enables Head Start to better work with other child and family agencies in order to serve children and families more effectively”.

- Senator Edward M. Kennedy, November 2007

Promote school readiness of low income children by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development› Learning environments which support social,

emotional functioning, creative arts, physical skills, and approach to learning

› Service provided to low-income children and families include health, educational, social and others services as determined to be necessary.

Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act, 2007› Enhanced governing body responsibilities› Increased qualifications for teaching staff

– BA/BS degrees by 2013› Enhanced transition requirements with

LEAs for articulation into kindergarten› MOUS with State-Pre-k providers for

enhanced collaboration and coordination of ECE

Mandated services to children with disabilities

Expands Early Head Start Homeless families categorically eligible Created State Advisory Councils New income eligibility Set funding allocation amounts Enhanced state-based training system

Head Start funding declined 13% since 2002 - $880m cut when adjusted for inflation

Federal deficit growth from 2000 to 2011 – 47% tax cuts, 38% defense, 9% entitlements, 6% domestic discretionary

Poverty is up 1% since 2000 to 12.3% “Restrained spending” “budget is on a path

to balance” is a bi-partisan value.

New Administration commitments $10 billion investment in early childhood

education, including Head Start and Early Head Start

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, 2009 -- $2.1 Billion Early/Head Start › Provides funding for cost of living adjustments and

quality improvement for Head Start programs› Expands Head Start with emphasis on full-day

services through collaborations› Expands Early Head Start program with emphasis on

collaborative partners

COLA -- $40,858,826› Utilized to enhance salaries

and fringe benefits› Pay for increased

operational cost

Quality Improvement -- $38,221,112› Utilized to enhance quality

programming through increased professional development of staff

› Facility Improvements› Reduce class sizes

Head Start Expansion -- $12,004,500› Translates into

expansion of ~1,670 preschool children

Early Head Start Expansion -- $58,943,000› Translates into

expansion of ~5,125 infants, toddlers and pregnant women

(Not necessarily eligible to meet matching requirement)

• State Pre-k and Child Care• Teen parent funds (CalSAFE)• Preschool Grants (Special education), Part C

for children with disabilities• First 5• TANF/CalWORKS• Even Start• Early Reading First• Title 1

Separate funding streams are “braided” to support unified/seamless services.

More flexible pots of funding are “blended” into one funding pool.

Programs must meet highest standards of funding sources

Fees for HS services prohibitive Must meet both sets of standards

Head Start/Early Head Start programs an infrastructure of funds and support systems for T/TA› STG – State based federal contractor› ECKLC – web-based repository of

information› NHSA – national advocacy organization› EHS NRC – national training organization for

Early Head Start

State-based advocacy & professional development organization for Early/Head Start organizations

› ADVOCACY – on policies and regulations› PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – series of

trainings for staff and parents

Funded in each state to reduce barriers to and enhance collaboration between HS and state agencies/organizations

Funded at $225,000 & administered by CDE since early 1990s

Partners with CHSA, HS Technical Assistance Network, Region IX Office and other state departments