HSIPC: Head Start Bulletin #65 - Family Involvement

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March 1999

Issue No. 65

Parents as Paraprofessional Staff

By Marie Brand

      Over the past 34 years, more and more parents have been getting involved with Head Start as paid staff members. Hiring current or former Head Start parents from the community has many benefits. It allows programs to be more culturally responsive and to meet the needs of families in their local area. A select group of parents with specialized training may be especially helpful in working with children with disabilities. These parents have knowledge to share with the classroom staff, as well as the potential to support other parents as they learn to respond to their child's special needs.

     The Early Head Start program at The Educational Alliance in New York City has established a program for parents hired as center staff where they are trained as paraprofessionals. The process is as follows.

     First, interested Head Start parents submit resumes and participate in a series of interviews before being accepted as caregiver trainees for the Early Head Start program. Next, these parents receive six hours of intensive pre-service training on site and in a variety of infant/toddler programs. Finally, they spend one year studying and working as primary caregivers in the Early Head Start classroom. Parents also receive weekly reflective supervision and are compensated with a small stipend. Parents who need to complete high school attend agency-based GED classes.

Whatever the background of a parent hired as a paraprofessional, her/his role should be clearly defined, including job responsibilities and supervision. Regular training should be provided to address issues related to job skills and confidentiality.

     This model has proven to be a cost-effective strategy for providing high-quality child care in the community and supporting staff in being culturally compatible with the children. Perhaps most importantly, the program supports community development.

     An extra benefit of this arrangement is that qualified parents can fulfill the work requirements of welfare reform through employment as child care paraprofessionals. The internship has been accredited for the NYC Welfare to Work requirement. At graduation, each intern can become a licensed family day care provider or is helped to secure a position in the child care field. Of the first class of parents completing The Educational Alliance's training program, 80 percent are currently employed in full-time child care positions.

     Parents are the most valuable resource available to Head Start programs. Through ongoing training, supervision, feedback, and support, they can become successful additions to Head Start and child care program staff.

Marie Brand is Infant/Toddler Specialist at the Region II Disabilities Center for Quality Improvement, T:212-998-5528; F: 212-995-4562; E: mb25@157.nyu.edu


Contents - Bulletin No. 65	On to Head Start and the Fatherhood Initiative

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