Head StartApril 8-10, 2013

Carolyn Kiefer, Head Start State Collaboration DirectorSara San Juan, Assistant Director Migrant Seasonal Head StartFrances Huffman, Special Services Director, Coeur d’Alene School District

Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families.

Mission

• Largest and longest serving early childhood program in US • 1965 Project Head Start launched as part of War on Poverty

• 8 week, part day, summer program

• Served 561,000 3-4 year olds nation-wide

• 48th year- over 30 million low-income children and families have benefited

• Serves more than 1,000,000 children and more than 10,000 pregnant women during each program year.

History

American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN)

Tribal programs were a part of Head Start from the inception of the program, and

represented some of the deepest areas of poverty in the country.

History

In 1969 Migrant Head Start was launched to ensure that children of migrant farm workers had access to services through Head Start.

The service delivery model allowed for children as

young as six weeks old to receive comprehensive Head Start Services while parents labored in the fields to harvest the nation's food supply.

History

In 1995 Early Head Start expanded services to children 0-3 years of age and to pregnant women

History

Head Start in Idaho

• 13 Programs, including Migrant and Tribal• 5,000 Idaho children enrolled in HS/EHS

(4,200 slots)• 10% services for children with special needs

(650 children with special needs served)• Estimate: Idaho serves fewer than 20% of

eligible children

Children with Special Needs

• Head Start is federally mandated to screen all children within 45 days of enrollment for health and disabilities.

• Children who show signs of developmental delays/disabilities from screening must be referred to local school district for assessment and eligibility for special education services.

• Head Start Programs mandated to have Interagency Agreements with all school districts in their service area.

Bear River Head Start

Counties served: Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Lower Bannock

150 Children Enrolled

Coeur d’ Alene Tribe Early Childhood Learning Center

Counties served: Benewah and Kootenai

112 Children Enrolled

College of Southern Idaho Head Start

Counties served: Blaine, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, Power, and Twin Falls

775 Children Enrolled

Community Council of Idaho – Migrant Seasonal Head Start

Counties served: Bannock, Bingham, Bonneville, Canyon, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Freemont, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls, and Washington

808 Children Enrolled

Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership Head StartCounties served: Bingham, Bonneville, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton

313 Children Enrolled

Friends of Children and Families Head Start

Counties served: Ada and Elmore

609 Children Enrolled

Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program Head Start

Counties served: Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis, and Nez Perce (in Idaho) and Asotin (in Washington)

475 Children Enrolled

Mountain States Early Head StartCounties served: Bonner, Kootenai

167 Children Enrolled

Nez Perce Tribe Early Childhood Development Program Head Start

Counties served: Clearwater, Idaho, Lewis and Nez Perce

226 Children Enrolled

North Idaho College Head Start

Counties served: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone

361 Children Enrolled

Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25 Head Start

County served: Bannock

206 Children Enrolled

Annual Report

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Head Start

Counties served: Bannock and Bingham75 Children Enrolled

Website

Western Idaho Community Action Partnership

Counties served: Adams, Boise, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley, and Washington

755 Children Enrolled

Why Head Start? Why invest in Early Childhood Education?

Why target Children in Poverty?

Research:

• The importance of the first 1000 days• Hart and Risley’s study about language

development and vocabulary• Critical nature of early intervention• Brain development and the impact of early

stress.

Disparities in Early Vocabulary Growth

9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 360

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Professional FamiliesWorking Class Families Welfare Families

Age of Child in Months

Voca

bula

ry S

ize

Source: Hart, B. and Risley, T. R. (2003). “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3.”

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesACE Study

• Physical Abuse• Sexual Abuse• Emotional Abuse• Neglect• Witnessing Domestic Violence• Depression/Mental Illness in Home• Incarcerated Family Member• Substance Abuse in Home• Loss of a Parent

ACE Questionnaire

Significant Adversity Impairs Development in the First Three Years

1 or 2 3 4 5 6 70%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Child

ren

with

Dev

elop

men

tal D

elay

s

Number of Risk Factors

Source: Barth, et al. (2008)

ACEs and Head Start WSU and Spokane Head Start

• Head Start Children (N=50)• 60% had violence exposures < 4 yrs. • Mean ACE >3 • Mean ACE of their Parents is >5

•2/3rs of children with Positive ACE screen had one report of social-emotional development concerns (by teacher and parent)

Harvard University Center on the Developing Child

Commonalities HS/Title One

• Serve many of the same children and families• Promote school readiness • Promote school success• Focus on Professional Development • Score quality of interactions: Danielson, CLASS• Early Learning eGuidelines/Common Core• Value parent participation• Federal funding and Federal Standards

Federal Initiatives:

• Grants from Feds and Foundations• President’s commitment to early childhood• Pending Federal funding for Pre-K expansion

in states.• What are the implications for Idaho?

President’s Fact Sheet

Idaho’s WIN/WIN!

• Minidoka• MOU with State Migrant Education and MSHS

• An Idaho Model for Head Start and School District Collaboration: Frances’s story

The Story• Parent Testimony: When my son entered

Head Start I saw students with disabilities in the class and wondered, “what will they TAKE from my child?” What I found was “what they HAVE GIVEN to my child and my family”.

The Picture

• *Janie* She has a smile as big as they come.– She can now eat with a spoon.– Choose her center.– Move to her center.– Laugh with her friends.

The Picture• *Scottie* - Now uses a few words.– Watches and learns from his friends.– Joins in all activities.– Gets to be a “kid”.

The Picture

• *Terry* - Has time during the day with a new adult in his life.– Learning to tolerate the busy world of preschool.– Can taste some new foods.– Has opportunities with active, happy friends.

The Scene• So many happy voices – I will try for words of

my own.• New fun experiences – I will join a friend and

enjoy the activity.• A friend who helps with the real issues, i.e.

zippers, shoes, mittens.• “I did it myself!!!”

Partnership• School District Special Needs Preschool and

North Idaho College Head Start.Model – Co-enrolled (7/13)

50/50School District

Appearance

• All classes look the same to parents, students, observers.

• Curriculum is melded to make the best of both worlds.

• Services are becoming seamless and integrative.

• Staff are afforded training from both entities.

Collaborative Partnership

• Assessment information gathered by all.• Shared– Goals– Planning– Services– Teaching– Friendships– Celebrations

Benefits of Partnering with Schools

• Communication and a common understanding of “School Readiness”

• Collaborative Transition Plan– What could that look like? • Home Language Survey/Assessment• Assessment Results• Work Samples• Family Goal Setting Centered Around Transition

Benefits of Partnering with Schools

• Facilitate Parent Engagement• Co-sponsored Staff Trainings• Long Term Data Study• Collaborative Continuous Improvement• Mutual Learning • Relationships

Possibilities are Endless !!

What potential do you see?• Positives

• Obstacles

• Options

• Starting places