HSIPC - Head Start Information and Publications Center

Activities

Young children are always doing something. The activities identified here engage children's attention and at the same time are effective educational experiences. They are appropriate for programs in all settings.

Certificates

Recognizing accomplishments and valuable contributions to Head Start and Early Head Start are basic components of the programs and extensions of its interrelated nature. These certificates for staff, parents and guardians, volunteers and, of course, the children themselves hallmark their participation.

Community Partnerships

By collaborating with partners in the community, Head Start ensures that children and families receive the highest level of services. Collaborations also help to foster the development of a continuum of family-centered services and a community that shares responsibility for the healthy development of children and families of all cultures.

Curricula

Head Start and Early Head Start focus on ensuring that young children go on to school ready to learn. Accordingly, the curricula is designed to foster young people's interest in learning, enhance their ability to use language, heighten their motivation to learn to read, stimulate their curiosity and encourages them to think mathematically about their world. Individual progress is assessed regularly and strategies to address areas needing improvement are developed.

Disabilities

Children with disabilities are welcomed members of the Head Start community. They are viewed as individuals with unique personalities, unique talents, and unique preferences first and foremost. Head Start and Early Head Start programs work to involve children with disabilities and their parents in all aspects of the program. Plans are developed to meet the special needs of children with disabilities so they can participate in a full range of activities and opportunities.

Early Childhood Development

Early Head Start

The mission of EHS is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, enhance the development of very young children, and promote healthy family functioning. Early Head Start incorporates current research and best practice in providing services to low-income young children and their families. The program services include: quality early education both in and out of the home; parenting education; comprehensive health and mental health services, including services to women before, during, and after pregnancy; nutrition education; and family support services.

Education

Head Start's education program is designed to meet each child's individual needs. It also aims to meet the needs of the community served and its ethnic and cultural characteristics. Each child participates in a variety of developmentally appropriate learning experiences to foster intellectual, social and emotional growth. Children develop their language skills and participate in pre-literacy, math concept, and science activities. They are encouraged to express their feelings and to develop self-confidence and the ability to get along with others.

Facilities, Materials and Equipment

A quality Head Start facility provides a physical environment responsive both to the needs of the children and families served and to the needs of staff, volunteers, and community agencies that share space with Head Start. Quality facilities can help programs achieve Head Start's goals of promoting children's social competence, providing opportunities for parent involvement, and fostering family self-sufficiency.

Fiscal Assistant
Head Start Center Design Guide -- Second Edition
Transportation Toolkit

Family Partnerships

Ideas and opinions of families in Head Start are actively solicited, listened to, valued and respected. The family partnership agreement process ensures that Head Start services and resources are responsive to each family's needs, interests and goals. Parents are the most important influence on a child's development. An essential part of each Head Start program is the involvement of parents in parent education, program planning, and other operating activities. Through participation in classes and workshops on child development and through staff visits to the home, parents learn about the needs of their children and about educational activities that can be carried out at home.

General

Following are general interest Head Start publications, recruitment and public awareness materials and the National Directory, which is a very useful networking tool. This section also includes items that can be used to acknowledge the valuable work of voluteers and families.

Health and Safety

Head Start emphasizes the importance of early identification of health problems. Children receive a complete examination, including vision and hearing tests, identification of disabling conditions, immunizations, and a dental exam. Follow-up is provided for identified problems. Parents receive guidance in maintaining a schedule for regular check-ups and gaining health insurance for their children.

Home-Based Programs

There is a richness and diversity to Head Start home-based programming that relies on the creative energy and enthusiasm of the home visitor, the advocacy and cooperation of the family and community members, and the foresight and commitment of administrators, coordinators and trainers. The team of parents and professionals is constantly challenged to adapt, improve and individualize services to meet the particular needs of young children and their families.

Human Resource Management

Head Start is committed to establishing a learning environment in which children, parents and staff can teach and learn from one another. Staff, consultants, parents, volunteers and members of policy groups and governing bodies are offered opportunities and support for on-going training and development.

Literacy

Head Start emphasizes preparing children for reading and ensuring their school readiness. Research shows that exposing very young children to print, books and reading aloud provides them with important concepts that establish a foundation for reading. In addition, Head Start grantees play a key role in family literacy by: increasing Head Start families' access to materials, providing activities and services essential to family literacy development, and assisting parents as adult learners to recognize and address their own literacy skills.

Management Systems and Procedures

Management systems and procedures in Head Start support continuous program improvement and foster commitment to providing the highest level of services to children and families.

Mental Health

Mental health/wellness is recognized as a significant contributory factor to each individual's ability to achieve, learn successfully, and succeed in life. Mental health impacts how people perceive themselves, how they relate to others, how successful they feel, how constructively they cope with different situations and emotions, how they achieve and their willingness to invest in learning. Head Start's objective is to establish environments that support positive relationships and attitudes so that individuals: adults and children alike can maximize their potential.

Multimedia Kits/Videotapes and Discussion Guides

Multimedia kits integrate videos, discussion guides, activities, etc. They are highly effective resources used for staff development, programming, and/or promoting public awareness of Head Start and Early Head Start.

Nutrition

Food is human fuel, essential for physical and intellectual growth and well-being. A trained nutritionist supervises the food-related activities of each Head Start program. The nutritionist helps the staff identify nutritional programs and helps teach parents how to select healthy foods, prepare well-balanced meals, and how to obtain community assistance if needed. Finally, children learn to appreciate a variety of foods and the benefits of eating foods that help keep them growing healthily.

Parent Involvement

Parents are the most important influence of a child's development. An essential part of each Head Start program is the involvement of parents in parent education, program planning, and other operating activities. Through participation in classes and workshops on child development and through staff visits to the home, parents learn about the needs of their children and about educational activities that can be carried out at home.

Performance Standards/Program Governance

A well-functioning governing body in Head Start includes the Head Start staff as well as parents and other communities representatives. Together they share the responsibility for overseeing the delivery of high quality services to children and families.

Program Design and Management

Program Governance

Head Start programs are expected to meet the program performance standards established to ensure the delivery of high quality services. The governance of each program is required to include the Head Start staff as well as parents and other community representatives. Together they share the responsibility for overseeing the program and services and ensuring that they meet established criteria.

Recruitment

The resources listed below present Head Start's holistic vision of services. They help in the continuous recruitment of children, staff and volunteers. In addition, they present Head Start and Early Head Start to the general public. Finally, the Directory of National Head Start Programs facilitates networking among grantees/delegate agencies.

Research

Head Start is mandated to maintain "... a continuous program of research, demonstration, and evaluation activities, in order to
(A) foster continuous improvement in the quality of the Head Start programs... and their effectiveness in enabling participating children and their families to succeed in school and otherwise; and
(B) use the Head Start programs to develop, test and disseminate new ideas and approaches for addressing the needs of low-income preschool children (including children with disabilities) and their families and communities (including demonstrations of innovative non-center based program models such as home-based and mobile programs) and otherwise ..."
Head Start Act, As Amended 10/27/98

Social Services

This section contains National Training Guides on Social Services.

Spanish Language Materials

Head Start is pleased to make available a number of its publications in Spanish. This outreach endeavor meets the access needs of a significant part of the program's population.

Special Items

Substance Abuse

Head Start strengthens and supports families in their efforts to protect and nurture their young children. Because substance abuse is a problem everywhere, Head Start staff recognizes it is a crisis that directly affects children and families in their communities.

Training and Development

All staff should have the knowledge, training and expertise required to effectively fulfill their job responsibilities. Training is an on-going activity designed to increase the level of competence and expertise of staff and volunteers. It is also an effective means of helping staff, parents and volunteers to gain a greater sense of ownership and responsibility for the program.

Transition

Going from a known, comfortable environment to one that is different and unfamiliar can be very stressful. When early childhood educators take the time to help facilitate transition, there are benefits for children, parents and teachers.

Volunteers

Volunteers are an important part of all Head Start programs, and all kinds of people offer critical help. Volunteers assist with indoor creative play, transportation, parent education, renovation of centers and recruiting and instructing other volunteers.

Handbook for Volunteer Coordinators in Head Start

Single copies of most Head Start materials in this catalog are available free of charge to individuals and organizations outside of Head Start. National Training Guides are available to non-Head Start organizations and individuals through the Government Printing Office (GPO).


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