HEAD START®

Caring for Children with
Chronic Conditions

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3
| Continuing Professional Development | Resources

Introduction

Overview

Purpose

Children with chronic conditions and their families have the same needs, rights, and dreams as all young children and their families.

The purpose of this guide, Caring for Children with Chronic Conditions, is to:

• build staff capacity to make Head Start a safe and welcoming place for children with chronic conditions and their families.
  
  
• create a framework for individual planning to meet the special health needs of children with chronic conditions.

AudienceThis guide is for Head Start management teams responsible for the design and coordination of integrated curriculum/service plans for children as well as for teachers and family service workers who implement those plans.Performance StandardsHead Start Program Performance Standards require that:

• children not be excluded from Head Start solely on the basis of their health care needs;
  
• health conditions identified through screening or health history reviews at enrollment be followed by helping the family get necessary services; and
  
• an individualized approach be taken for each child's education. This means making reasonable accommodations in program policies, protocols, or procedures to enable a child with special health care needs to participate in Head Start.

Orientation to the GuideThe specifics of any medical condition and its symptoms are different for each individual–each child's medical condition is unique. Consequently this guide does not represent a comprehensive resource about any specific chronic condition. The guide is designed to use some common conditions to illustrate essential principles of care that are relevant to most programs and relevant across conditions. The examples provide a process that your program can use to get the information to meet the needs of children in your program. The guide is divided into the following sections:

Module 1: Understanding Chronic Conditions

This module provides an introduction to chronic conditions. What is a chronic condition? What do chronic conditions mean in the lives of children and families at different developmental stages? What does it feel like for a teacher to care for a child with a chronic condition? The module closes with a brief activity to help programs assess their training needs when caring for children with chronic conditions.

Module 2: Essential Principles for Care

This module demonstrates that responsive, responsible care for children with chronic conditions is family-centered, is designed around individual needs, and is safe and legal. This module introduces material to help create programs that include these essential principles.

Module 3: Putting It All Together–Caring for Children with Asthma

This module takes the principles discussed in Modules 1 and 2 and applies them to caring for a child with a common chronic condition: asthma.

Continuing Professional Development

Resources

Module Sections

Each module provides learning opportunities for workshop (12-25 people) and coaching (two-three people) sessions. Each module has the following sections:

• Outcomes:
  
  The skills to be acquired by staff who participate in a module's activities.
  
  
• Key Concepts:
  
  The main ideas the module covers. These sections can be used as handouts or overheads.
  
  
• Background Information:
  
  Elaborates on the Key Concepts. This section can be used as a coaching resource or as an outline for a presentation to a group. Background Information sections can also be used for handouts or as overheads in workshop sessions.
  
  
• Questions for Discussion/Reflection:
  
  Listed at the end of each Background Information section. These questions can be used to initiate discussion in workshops and coaching sessions, or serve as prompts for staff journals.
  
  
• Learning Activities:
  
  Build the skills needed to achieve the module's outcomes. Managers can choose to use workshop activities, coaching activities, or a combination. Activities should be adapted to a group's size and composition: the management team, staff from one component area, or staff and board members together.
  
  
• Points to Consider:
  
  Issues listed at the end of each activity to keep in mind or to use as discussion prompts while working through the activity.
  
  
• Next Steps:
  
  Ideas to Extend Practice: Additional activities to reinforce the expected outcomes and help to transfer skills from the training sessions to the work setting.
  
  
• Handouts:
  
  Included at the end of each module. Trainers should reproduce the handouts as needed for participants.

Definition of Icons

Coaching

A training strategy that fosters the development of skills through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and feedback. The activities are written for a coach to work closely with one to three participants.

Workshops

A facilitated group training strategy that fosters the development of skills through activities which build on learning through group interaction. These activities are written for up to 25 participants working in small or large groups with one or two trainers.

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice

Activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the module.

Continuing Professional Development

Follow-up activities for the program to support continued staff development in the regular use of the skills addressed in a particular training guide. They include:

1) opportunities tailored to the participant to continue building on the skills learned in the training; and

2) ways to identify new skills and knowledge needed to expand and/or complement these skills through opportunities in such areas as in higher education, credentialing, or community educational programs.

At A Glance: Activities / Time / Materials (W) = Workshop Activity (C) = Coaching Activity Module 1: Understanding Chronic ConditionsActivity 1: What Does Chronic Condition Mean? (W)
Time: 60 minutes / Material: Handouts A 1, 2, 3; Handout B Activity 2: Alike and Different (W)
Time: 45 minutes / Material: Handouts C 1, 2; Handout DActivity 3: Taking Development into Account (C)
Time: 45 minutes / Material: Handout E; Handouts F 1, 2, 3; Handout GActivity 4: How Are We Doing? (C)
Time: Over Time / Material: Handout H Module 2: Essential Principles for CareActivity 1: Is This Family Centered (W)
Time: 60 minutes / Material: Handouts I; J, K; L Activity 2: Assert Yourself (C)
Time: 90 minutes/ Material: Handouts M; NActivity 3: Are We Prepared? (W)
Time: 30 minutes/ Material: Handouts O; P; Key to Activity 3Activity 4: Making It Our Own (C)
Time: Over Time / Material: Handout QActivity 5: Listening to Learn (C)
Time: Three 60 minute interviews / Material: Handouts R 1, 2, 3Activity 6: Taking Medicine (C)
Time: 120 minutes / Material: Handout SActivity 7: Whom Do I Tell? (W)
Time: 45 minutes / Material: Handouts T; UModule 3: Putting It All Together - Caring for Children with AsthmaActivity 1: How Does It Feel? (W)
Time: 90 minutes / Material: Handout V

Activity 2: Developing the Individualized Health Plan (W)
Time: 90 minutes / Handouts W 1, 2, 3, 4; X; (from Module 2) Q; Key to Activity 2 Activity 3: What Would You Do? (C)
Time: 45 minutes / Handouts (from Module 2) T; Y