Professional Development:
The Cornerstone for Trust and Empowerment

Nearly a million families throughout the country place an enormous amount of trust in the staff of Head Start each year. They trust that their children are in a safe and developmentally appropriate environment. They share their hopes, dreams, and hardships with us. They open up their homes and divulge a wealth of personal information. We ask a litany of questions ranging from education, to medical histories, to family dynamics. Often, we delve into the most sensitive aspects of their lives. We intervene in crisis, provide families with resources, and teach their children. All of this requires an inherent level of trust by our families. Moreover, our families trust that staff has the expertise and professionalism to work effectively with their children, and to assist parents with their goals and needs. It is imperative, therefore, that we maintain this trust by supporting the professional development of staff, so they can provide the quality services Head Start children and families deserve.

Professional development not only augments trust levels and expertise, it can motivate staff to become more informed, more creative, and more intuitive. This results not only in the exponential growth of staff but also in the empowerment of the families we serve.

This issue of the Bulletin focuses on professional development for all staff. Teachers are currently a primary focus of development due to congressional mandates. Head Start also takes a proactive stance on enhancing the qualifications and professionalism of family service workers, managers, and directors. Several avenues for professional development are discussed in the following articles, which provide information on collaborations, professional mentoring, family service worker credentials, senior early childhood associates, and fellowship programs.

Professional development will generate positive outcomes on a variety of programmatic levels. Specifically, professional development is a catalyst to—

• Empower staff and, in turn, families
  
• Enhance self-esteem
  
• Increase staff and family trust
  
• Create a positive work environment
  
• Increase productivity
  
• Improve the quality of services
  
• Decrease staff turnover

A win-win situation results when programs focus on professional development. The future of Head Start depends upon family trust and staff empowerment. With these elements as our cornerstones, we can collectively achieve a more promising tomorrow.

Traci Hefner was a 2000–2001 Head Start Fellow with the Head Start Bureau in Washington, D.C.