Strengthening Children, Youth and Families

Resources & Publications: Head Start/Early Head Start

Summary | Headlines Only

Mar 20, 2013 | Child Care and Early Education U.S. Head Start by the Numbers 2011 This fact sheet presents Head Start PIR data for all Head Start programs in the country -- including preschool programs, Early Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. Download PDF
Jan 23, 2013 After the Fiscal Cliff, What's Next for Early Childhood? CLASP's Hannah Matthews, NWLC's Helen Blank, and NAEYC's Adele Robinson discuss the many uncertainties that early childhood programs face as we move toward the next round of fiscal negotiations. Read Online | Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Illinois Child Care Initiative The Illinois Child Care Collaboration Program promotes collaboration between child care and other early care and education providers, including Early Head Start (EHS), by creating policies to ease blending of funds to extend the day or year of existing services. While no funding is provided through the initiative, participating programs may take advantage of several child care rule exceptions that make it easier to access child care subsidy dollars to extend the day/year of EHS services. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Illinois Prevention Initiative The Illinois Prevention Initiative provides grants to home-based and center-based programs to expand access to the Early Head Start (EHS) model as well as other birth to 3 models. The goal is to serve additional children birth to age 3 and help grantees increase program quality. The initiative to expand access to EHS and other models was established by the Illinois State Board of Education in 2007, as recommended by the Illinois Early Learning Council. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Kansas Initiative Kansas Early Head Start (KEHS) provides comprehensive services following federal Head Start Program Performance Standards for pregnant women and eligible families with children from birth to age 4. KEHS was implemented in 1998 using Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) quality set-aside dollars augmented by a transfer of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. The initiative was designed to improve the availability and quality of child care for infants and toddlers in Kansas. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Maine Initiative Maine has two initiatives that build on Early Head Start (EHS). The first initiative, Fund for a Healthy Maine, provides tobacco settlement money to existing Head Start and EHS programs to expand the number of children who receive full-day, full-year services. The second initiative, Supplemental, provides state general revenue funds to all Head Start programs to add additional slots, some of which may be used for EHS. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Maryland Initiative Since 2000, Maryland has provided state supplemental funds to Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) programs to improve access. Local EHS programs may use funds, through child care partnerships, to extend the EHS day or year. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Minnesota Initiative Minnesota provides supplemental state funding to existing federal Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) grantees to increase their capacity to serve additional infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. The initiative was started in 1997 when the state legislature earmarked $1 million of the general state Head Start supplemental funds for children birth to age 3. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Missouri Initiative Missouri's Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership Project expands access to Early Head Start (EHS) services for children birth to age 3 by developing partnerships between federal Head Start, EHS contractors, and child care providers. Head Start and EHS contractors that participate in the initiative provide services through community child care providers to both increase the number of children receiving EHS services and improve the overall quality of care. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Nebraska Initiative Since 1999, Nebraska's Early Head Start Infant/Toddler Quality Initiative has supported Early Head Start (EHS) and community child care partnerships to improve the quality and professionalism of infant and toddler care. EHS programs apply to receive funding to establish partnerships with center-based or home-based child care. Download PDF
Dec 19, 2012 | CLASP and ZERO TO THREE Expanding Access to EHS: Oklahoma Initiative The Oklahoma Early Childhood Program uses public and private funds to enhance and expand high quality early care and education opportunities for children birth through age 3. The George Kaiser Family Foundation initiated the pilot in 2006 by matching state general revenue with private donations. Since that time, other private funders and providers have begun to contribute matching funds. Download PDF
Nov 14, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families and Staff in 2011 This fact sheet reviews the 2011 Program Information Report (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2011, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, only about 4 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Download PDF
Nov 14, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit Head Start Participants, Programs, Families and Staff in 2011 This fact sheet reviews the 2011 Program Information Report (PIR) data for the Head Start preschool program, which serves children ages 3 and 4. In 2011, Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, only 42 percent of eligible children receive Head Start preschool services. Download PDF
Nov 13, 2012 | Christine Johnson-Staub Planning Funding Partnerships: A Worksheet to Help States Get Started in Putting it Together The following worksheet comes from CLASP's "Putting It Together: A Guide to Financing Comprehensive Services in Child Care and Early Education." States and communities embarking on financing partnerships to expand access to comprehensive services can use this worksheet to begin mapping the need, available resources, and potential partnering strategies that will help them move forward. This document may be downloaded, edited, and saved. Download PDF
Sep 25, 2012 Audio Conference: Federal Budget Roadmap - Where We're Going and What We Need to Do CLASP's Hannah Matthews alongside representatives from National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) discuss the latest on federal developments that will impact child care and early education programs and funding. Read Online | Download PDF | Additional PDF
Sep 14, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit and Jamie Colvard Webinar: State Initiatives to Expand Early Head Start This webinar discusses the content of the new CLASP and ZERO TO THREE report, "Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk." The webinar highlights how states are using innovative funding, policies, and partnerships, to expand the EHS program and better meet the needs of more low-income children and pregnant women living in their state. Read Online | Download PDF
Sep 13, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit and Jamie Colvard Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk All babies need good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences to foster their healthy intellectual, social, and emotional development. Unfortunately, far too few young children receive the supports they need to build a strong foundation for future growth. The federal Early Head Start (EHS) program was created in 1994 to address the comprehensive needs of children under age 3 in low-income families and vulnerable low-income pregnant women. Research shows that EHS positively impacts children's cognitive, language, and social-emotional development; family self-sufficiency; and parental support of child development. This report highlights how states are using innovative funding, policies, and partnerships, to expand the critically important EHS program and better meet the needs of more low-income children and pregnant women living in their state. Read Online | Download PDF
Sep 07, 2012 | Hannah Matthews At Risk: Early Care and Education Funding and Sequestration Sequestration was created in August 2011 as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011, which ended that year's showdown over raising the federal debt ceiling. Because Congress failed to come up with a deficit reduction plan, the Budget Control Act calls for $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts over the next decade, divided equally between defense and "non-defense discretionary" programs. This fact sheet explains how these cuts will impact federal early care and education funding and what can be done to prevent them. Read Online | Download PDF
Aug 14, 2012 | Christine Johnson-Staub Putting it Together: A Guide to Financing Comprehensive Services in Child Care and Early Education This guide provides state policymakers and advocates with strategies to maximize resources and make policy changes that drive funds, resources, and community partners to child care and early education programs to benefit young children and families. Separate from blending and braiding funding streams at the local or program level, the strategies described in this guide focus on state policy decisions that can facilitate the innovative use of funds, encourage partnerships at the state and local level, and replicate promising models from other states. Read Online | Download PDF
Jul 25, 2012 How State and Local Advocates Stopped Cutbacks and Achieved Successes CLASP's Hannah Matthews and NWLC's Helen Blank talk with state advocates from California, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, and New York about how they stopped child care cuts in their states and achieved successes in this challenging fiscal climate. Read Online | Download Audio
May 02, 2012 | Hannah Matthews and Stephanie Schmit Finding and Using Data to Advocate Effectively for Children and Families This presentation, given at the 2012 National Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, provides a range of data to use to make the case for investing in young children and their families. Download PDF
Mar 28, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit and Danielle Ewen Supporting Our Youngest Children: Early Head Start Programs in 2010 This policy brief examines the latest data from the Program Information Reports (PIR) that all Early Head Start (EHS)programs must submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, Early Head Start saw its largest increase in enrollment in its history. EHS families continued to access services at a high rate and children continued to be connected to medical and dental services. Challenges continue to exist as teachers' salaries remain stagnant and a smaller percentage of teachers have an associate's degree or higher in 2010 compared to 2009 and 2006. Download PDF
Feb 23, 2012 Post-Budget Update: What to Expect for Early Childhood in 2012 Audio Conference CLASP's Hannah Matthews along with experts from National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) discuss the President's FY 2013 budget proposal and the appropriations process for early childhood programs in 2012. Read Online | Download Audio | Download Additional
Feb 06, 2012 | Hannah Matthews Challenges and Opportunities: Child Care and Early Education in Difficult Times Child poverty is growing. Families continue to struggle in a difficult economy. Despite broad recognition of the importance of the earliest years, debates at the federal level focus on reducing spending rather than addressing the needs of children and families. These daunting challenges make the need for comprehensive birth to five services even more critical and must be a call to action for those who work on behalf of the most vulnerable children. This presentation was given at the Region IV Head Start Annual Conference. Download PDF
Feb 03, 2012 | Stephanie Schmit and Danielle Ewen Putting Children and Families First: Head Start Programs in 2010 This policy brief examines the latest data from the Program Information Reports (PIR) that all Head Start programs must submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, Head Start served more participants than the previous year. PIR data show that Head Start is continuing to provide critical services for poor children and their families. Families continued to seek Head Start services at a high rate and nearly all children had health insurance at the end of the program year. Challenges still exist as teachers' salaries remain stagnant and the percent of teachers with degrees decreased slightly from 2009 to 2010. Download PDF
Jan 18, 2012 | Child Care and Early Education A Tool Using Data to Inform a State Early Childhood Agenda This tool is intended for state advocates and policymakers to use as they work to develop a state early childhood agenda. It includes a series of key questions to understand the context and conditions of young children, birth to six, in the state. Where possible, we also include infant/toddler specific questions. Questions include data on demographics and program participation (such as health and nutrition programs), as well as the details of child care and early education settings in the state. Users can download and save a copy of this tool, fill in their state’s data, and compare to national data points (which are provided where appropriate). Read Online | Download File
Dec 05, 2011 | Stephanie Schmit Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2010 This fact sheet reviews the 2010 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2010, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, less than 4 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Download PDF
Dec 05, 2011 | Stephanie Schmit Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2010 This fact sheet reviews the 2010 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Head Start preschool program, which serves children ages 3 and 4. In 2010, Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, less than half of eligible children receive Head Start preschool services. Download PDF
Jun 02, 2011 | Elizabeth Hoffmann & Danielle Ewen What State Leaders Should Know About Early Head Start Early Head Start (EHS) is a federally-funded, community-based program that provides comprehensive child and family development services to low-income pregnant women and families with children under the age of 3. This paper reviews 11 key aspects of how the EHS program works and includes considerations for state leaders. The paper is meant to serve as an introduction to the program for state policymakers, not to provide official guidance or interpretation of the laws and regulations governing EHS. Download PDF
Feb 23, 2011 | Child Care and Early Education Early Childhood Funding: the President's FY2012 Budget and Wrapping Up FY2011 Appropriations This February 17th conference call provided information on early childhood funding for FY2011 and FY2012. Speakers include: Helen Blank, National Women's Law Center; Danielle Ewen, CLASP; Adele Robinson, NAEYC; and Harriet Dichter, First Five Years Fund. Download Audio
Jan 25, 2011 | Hannah Matthews Federal and State Budgets: Implications for Funding Early Childhood Programs This presentation was presented at the National Head Start Association (NHSA) Leadership Institute. It provides an overview of the federal budget process for FY 2011 and 2012 and the political and economic context that may impact funding for early childhood programs. Download PDF
Jan 20, 2011 | Child Care and Early Education Making the Case for Child Care and Head Start Investments State-specific information on child care and Head Start funding, children served in these programs, child poverty rates, and more to make the case for investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start Read Online
Dec 20, 2010 | Danielle Ewen Comments on Notice of Proposed Rule Making on Head Start Designation Renewal System CLASP submitted comments on the proposed regulations to implement the statutory provisions of the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 published September 22, 2010, at 75 Fed. Reg. 57704. Download PDF
Nov 15, 2010 | Child Care and Early Education U.S. Head Start by the Numbers 2009 This fact sheet presents Head Start PIR data for all Head Start programs in the nation -- including preschool programs, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and American Indian/Alaskan Native Head Start. Download PDF
Nov 10, 2010 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Finding and Using Data to Advocate Effectively for Children and Families This presentation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 2010 annual conference provides a range of data to use to make the case for investments in young children and their families. Download PDF
Jul 30, 2010 | Elizabeth Hoffmann Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2009 This fact sheet reviews the 2009 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2009, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, less than 3 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Download PDF
Jul 30, 2010 | Elizabeth Hoffmann Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2009 This fact sheet reviews the 2009 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Head Start preschool program, which serves children ages 3 and 4. In 2009, Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. However, less than half of eligible children receive Head Start preschool services. Download PDF
Jun 07, 2010 | Rachel Schumacher Bringing the Comprehensive EHS Model to All Vulnerable Babies and their Families This presentation provides information about how to bring the comprehensive Early Head Start (EHS) model to all vulnerable babies and their families, including key facts for planning policies for vulnerable babies, how EHS addresses critical needs, and a framework for thinking creatively about expanding access to EHS-like services in states and communities. Download PDF
May 26, 2010 | Elizabeth Hoffmann Early Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) Data Available through CLASP's DataFinder This document explains CLASP's DataFinder tool and lists the Early Head Start state data available through this tool. Download PDF
May 26, 2010 | Rachel Schumacher Leveraging Existing Funding Sources to Support Early Head Start and EHS-like Services This presentation was delivered at a meeting held by ZERO TO THREE and CLASP entitled, "Including and Expanding Early Head Start in State Early Childhood Systems." This meeting worked with state-level policymakers looking to create more comprehensive services for infants, toddlers, and their families. Download PDF
May 25, 2010 | Fran Majestic, Barbara Gebhard, Rachel Schumacher, and Sue Mitchell Applying the EHS Approach to Services and Systems for Infants and Toddlers This presentation was delivered at a meeting held by ZERO TO THREE and CLASP entitled, "Including and Expanding Early Head Start in State Early Childhood Systems." This meeting worked with state-level policymakers looking to create more comprehensive services for infants, toddlers, and their families. Session speakers: Fran Majestic, Office of Head Start; Barbara Gebhard, ZERO TO THREE; Rachel Schumacher, CLASP; and Sue Mitchell, Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Download PDF
Mar 15, 2010 | Elizabeth Hoffmann A Tool Using Data to Inform a State Infant/Toddler Care Agenda This tool is intended for state advocates and policymakers to use as they work to develop a state infant/toddler care agenda. It includes a series of key questions to understand the context and conditions of infants and toddlers in the state. Questions include data on demographics and program participation (such as health and nutrition programs), as well as the details of child care and early education settings in the state. Users can download and save a copy of this tool, fill in their state’s data, and compare to national data points (which are provided where appropriate). Read Online | Download File
Feb 03, 2010 | Danielle Ewen and Helen Blank The President's Budget Proposal: Opportunities and Challenges for Early Childhood Programs In this audioconference, Danielle Ewen and Helen Blank discuss the president's FY 2011 budget proposal and implications for funding of state and local early childhood programs. Download Audio | Additional PDF
Feb 01, 2010 | Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen Administration Reverses a Decade of Indifference The President's FY 2011 budget proposal provides resources for expanding quality child care and early education opportunities for children and families. Read Online
Oct 23, 2009 | Child Care and Early Education U.S. Head Start by the Numbers 2008 This profile provides data across all Head Start programs (Early Head Start, Head Start preschool, American Indian/Alaskan Native Head Start, and Migrant Head Start) for all grantees. Profiles on individual states are available through "In the States." Download PDF
Sep 09, 2009 | Child Care and Early Learning Coalition Letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on FY 2011 Budget Request for Child Care and Head Start CLASP signed this coalition letter urging HHS to prepare a FY 2011 budget that allows for substantial increases in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Head Start. Download PDF
Jul 10, 2009 U.S. Head Start by the Numbers 2007 This fact sheet presents Head Start PIR data for all Head Start programs in the nation -- including preschool programs, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and American Indian/Alaskan Native Head Start. Download PDF
Jun 23, 2009 | Danielle Ewen and Hannah Matthews Early Childhood Education In The ARRA: Opportunities For Helping Low-income Children And Their Families This presentation highlights funding opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for supporting young children and their families, quality early learning experiences, and healthy and supportive communities. Download PDF
Mar 18, 2009 | Danielle Ewen Testimony On Growing Federal Investments In Head Start And Early Head Start This testimony, presented on March 18, 2009 to the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, discusses the importance of Head Start/Early Head Start programs that support our most vulnerable infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Download PDF
Sep 30, 2008 | Rachel Schumacher and Elizabeth Hoffmann Build Supply of Quality Care Nurturing and responsive infant/toddler child care is difficult to provide, and even harder for parents to find, yet all babies and toddlers in care need high quality care. To support this goal, CLASP recommends that states build the supply of high-quality child care settings for all babies and toddlers, with a special focus on underserved communities—including those in low-income, rural, and/or immigrant and language-minority communities. This document presents research supporting the recommendation to build supply of quality care. Read Online | Download PDF
Aug 14, 2008 | Rachel Schumacher and Elizabeth DiLauro (ZERO TO THREE) State Early Head Start Initiative Profiles CLASP and ZERO TO THREE conducted in-depth interviews with 10 states taking actions to build on Early Head Start. These individual profiles of state initiatives include data on the approaches used to build on Early Head Start, the state program, funding and supports, governance and coordination, and monitoring and evaluation. Read Online
Jun 18, 2008 Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, And Staff In 2006 This fact sheet reviews the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2006, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families, most of which included at least one working parent. Most children received medical, dental, and disability screenings and follow-up services when necessary. Pregnant women also received prenatal and postnatal health care, dental care, and mental health care. Families also accessed services at high rates; 84 percent of families accessed at least one social service. However, just 2.4 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Download PDF
Jun 18, 2008 Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, And Staff In 2006 This fact sheet reviews the 2006 Program Information Report (PIR) data for all Head Start programs, including preschool, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and American Indian and Alaskan Native programs. In 2006, Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families. Most children received medical, dental, and disability screenings and follow-up services when necessary. Data show that increasingly, children in Head Start are receiving health insurance through public programs, even though 70 percent of families included at least one working parent. In addition, Head Start teacher education levels continued to rise, while salaries decreased 2 percent from the previous year after inflation adjustment. Download PDF
Apr 25, 2008 | Rachel Schumacher and Elizabeth DiLauro (ZERO TO THREE) Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families This report from CLASP and ZERO TO THREE examines actions states have taken to enhance Early Head Start (EHS). Less than 3 percent of babies and toddlers who are eligible for EHS are reached at current federal funding levels. Twenty states use at least one of four main approaches: 1) Extending the day or year of existing EHS services, 2) Expanding the capacity of existing EHS and Head Start programs to increase the number of children and pregnant women served, 3) Providing resources and assistance to child care providers to help them deliver services meeting EHS standards, and 4) Supporting partnerships between EHS and center-based and family child care providers to improve the quality of care. The report also analyzes opportunities and challenges facing state policymakers and provides recommendations for state leaders interested in promoting better futures for at-risk children through building on Early Head Start. CLASP and ZERO TO THREE have also prepared state profiles detailing the approaches of Kansas and Iowa to expanding Early Head Start. Download PDF
Apr 25, 2008 | Rachel Schumacher and Elizabeth DiLauro (ZERO TO THREE) Executive Summary: Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families Executive Summary of Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families Download PDF
Jan 17, 2008 | Danielle Ewen Head Start Reauthorization and Other Federal Changes The federal Head Start program was reauthorized in December 2007. The new legislation made substantial changes to the program, including provisions to expand access to Head Start programs, strengthen and expand Early Head Start, increase the quality of the program, and improve collaboration between early childhood programs at the state and local levels. This PowerPoint presentation from CLASP, presented at the 2008 Head Start Johnson & Johnson Advanced Management Institute, provides an overview of key changes in the new law. Download PDF
Jan 09, 2008 | by Elizabeth Hoffmann and Danielle Ewen Supporting Families, Nurturing Young Children: Early Head Start Programs in 2006 This policy brief analyzes the 2006 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2006, Early Head Start supported families with working parents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds through a broad range of services, including medical, dental, and mental health services. Since 2004, more Early Head Start children and pregnant women received dental exams; more pregnant women had health insurance; and more pregnant women received mental health services. As in previous years, teacher education levels increased, but salaries remained stagnant. Also, more Early Head Start children are in informal care outside program hours. Download PDF
Jan 22, 2007 | Helene Stebbins and L. Carol Scott Better Outcomes For All: Promoting Partnerships Between Head Start And State Pre-K This report, a collaboration between CLASP and Pre-K Now, examines how Head Start and state pre-kindergarten programs can work together to best serve young children and their families. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with state pre-k program directors, Head Start collaboration coordinators, and providers of both Head Start and state pre-k programs in five states. The report finds that collaborations led to the enrollment of more children; the availability of more full-day, full-year options; and improvements in the quality of programs across settings. All of those interviewed for the report noted that collaboration is possible under current law and that it is well worth the effort. Download PDF
Sep 12, 2006 | Katie Hamm Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2005 This fact sheet reviews the 2005 Program Information Report (PIR) data for all Head Start programs, including preschool, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and American Indian and Alaskan Native programs. Data show that while Head Start helped more families access social services in 2005, the number of children served decreased. In addition, Head Start teacher education levels continued to rise, while salaries remained stagnant. Download PDF
Aug 25, 2006 | Katie Hamm Early Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2005 This fact sheet reviews the 2005 Program Information Reports (PIR) data for the Early Head Start program, which serves children under age 3 and pregnant women. In 2005, Early Head Start continued to provide vital services to a diverse group of low-income children and families, most of which included at least one working parent. Most children received medical, dental, and disability screenings and follow-up services when necessary. Families also accessed services at high rates; 80 percent of families accessed at least one social service. However, just 2.5 percent of eligible children receive Early Head Start services. Download PDF
Aug 25, 2006 | Katie Hamm More than Meets the Eye: Head Start Programs, Participants, Families, and Staff in 2005 This policy brief examines the latest data from the Program Information Reports (PIR) that all Head Start programs must submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2005, Head Start served fewer children than in previous years. At the same time, PIR data show that Head Start is increasingly a provider of last resort for low-income families. Despite a decrease in the number of families served, there was an increase in the number of families accessing an array of services through Head Start, including services for substance abuse, child abuse or neglect, mental health, and English as a Second Language courses. As in previous years, teacher education levels increased, but salaries remained stagnant. Download PDF
Mar 17, 2006 | Katie Hamm and Danielle Ewen From the Beginning: Early Head Start Children, Families, Staff, and Programs in 2004 This policy brief profiles the Early Head Start program--which serves low-income children under age 3, pregnant women, and their families with comprehensive early education and support services--using the latest data from the Program Information Reports that all Head Start grantees must submit to the U.S. Department of Health. Major changes in 2004 included more children with access to a continuous source of dental care and fewer families receiving TANF benefits. The proportion of home visitors and teachers with degrees also increased, although teacher salaries remained stagnant. (Head Start Policy Brief No. 7.) Download PDF
Nov 21, 2005 | Katie Hamm and Danielle Ewen Still Going Strong: Head Start Children, Families, Staff, and Programs in 2004 As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the federal Head Start program, this policy brief examines the latest data from the Program Information Reports that all Head Start grantees must submit to the U.S. Department of Health. In 2004, Head Start continued to provide early education services and medical, dental, and mental health screenings for poor children, as well as comprehensive supports for families. The number of teachers with degrees grew substantially in 2004--65 percent of teachers had an Associate's Degree or higher. Less than half of eligible children, however, receive Head Start services. Download PDF
Jul 26, 2005 | Katherine Hart and Rachel Schumacher Making the Case: Improving Head Start Teacher Qualifications Requires Increased Investment This policy paper, part of the Head Start Series, describes changes in Head Start teacher qualifications in light of recent policy history and assesses whether states and higher education systems are prepared for a major policy change requiring more teachers to have a B.A. It presents both relevant research and federal data from Head Start Program Information Reports (PIR) from 2002-2003. Download PDF
Jul 14, 2005 | Danielle Ewen Cost of Meeting House and Senate Proposed Head Start Teacher Qualification Requirements This analysis provides a preliminary estimate of the necessary level of funding needed to raise the degree qualifications to meet the requirements in the Head Start reauthorization legislation currently proposed in the House and Senate. CLASP's analysis demonstrates that it will cost at least $2.7 billion over six years to cover the cost of educating the necessary number of teachers in the House bill and raising their compensation to the levels of kindergarten teachers. To pay for the cost of the Senate requirements for increased education and raising compensation, CLASP estimates that it will cost as much as $3.4 billion over six years. Download PDF
May 09, 2005 | Danielle Ewen and Katherine Beh Neas Preparing for Success: How Head Start Helps Children with Disabilities and Their Families In 2004, 13 percent of the children in Head Start and Early Head Start (more than 134,000 children) were diagnosed with a disability. Without Head Start, some of these children might have gone undiagnosed, leaving their disabilities unaddressed for years. This paper, a joint venture between CLASP and Easter Seals, updates data from a 2003 paper of the same title. It details the requirements that Head Start grantees must meet to serve children with disabilities and provides data on how the programs are meeting them. Download PDF
Jun 23, 2004 | Katherine Hart and Rachel Schumacher Moving Forward: Head Start Children, Families, and Programs in 2003 This eight-page policy brief, the fifth in a series, offers the latest data available from Program Information Reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by all federal Head Start grantees. In 2003, Head Start continued to serve a diverse population of low-income children, mostly in working families. Head Start provided early education and a range of services to poor children and their families, including developmental and mental health screenings and special education and early intervention services. In 2003, more Head Start children had access to continuous medical and dental care than in previous years. Early Head Start children showed a particularly dramatic increase in access to dental care, rising from 47 percent in 2002 to 64 percent in 2003. Download PDF
Jan 28, 2004 | Kate Irish, Rachel Schumacher, and Joan Lombardi Head Start Comprehensive Services: A Key Support for Early Learning for Poor Children This policy brief, the fourth in the Head Start Series, describes the comprehensive services Head Start children receive. It presents data from Head Start Program Information Reports (PIR) from the most recent program year, 20012002, and compares them, when possible, to national data on the services low-income children and families receive. Download PDF
Jun 25, 2003 | Kate Irish, Rachel Schumacher, and Joan Lombardi Serving Americas Youngest: A Snapshot of Early Head Start Children, Families, Teachers, and Programs in 2002 This policy brief, the third of a series of analyses of Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) data, offers the first detailed examination of Early Head Start PIR data from the most recently available program year, 2001-2002. While Head Start primarily serves low-income preschool children ages 3-5, the Early Head Start program, created in 1995, serves low-income infants and toddlers (birth to age three) and pregnant women. This brief describes the unique features of the Early Head Start program and places them in the context of the overall Head Start program. Download PDF
May 21, 2003 | Rachel Schumacher Family Support and Parent Involvement in Head Start: What Do Head Start Program Performance Standards Require? Head Start programs provide early childhood education, comprehensive services, and family support to more than 900,000 low-income children and their families. This brief paper describes specific requirements in Head Start Program Performance Standards to involve parents in programs and to provide or link families to support services, and it provides data on family support and involvement in Head Start programs in 2002. Download PDF
May 16, 2003 | Rachel Schumacher and Kate Irish Whats New in 2002? A Snapshot of Head Start Children, Families, Teachers, and Programs This year, Congress is scheduled to reauthorize Head Start, a federal-to-local grant program for the provision of early childhood education, comprehensive services, and family support to poor preschool children and their families. This policy brief, the second in a series of analyses of Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) data by CLASP, describes the picture for Head Start children, families, teachers, and programs in the 2001-2002 program year, highlighting new data never gathered before for the PIR. The 2002 PIR data confirm that Head Start serves a diverse population of low-income children and families. Most of these families are working poor, with minimum education levels. These children and families receive a variety of family support and comprehensive services through Head Start and through coordination with available services in their communities. The 2002 PIR data provide helpful contextual information as the reauthorization of Head Start moves forward. Download PDF
May 15, 2003 | Rachel Schumacher Promoting the Health of Poor Preschool Children: What Do Federal Head Start Performance Standards Require? Head Start programs provide early childhood education, comprehensive services, and family support to more than 900,000 low-income children and their families. This brief paper describes the specific Head Start requirements for the provision of health screenings, follow-up, and linkages to services to participating children and their families and provides data on health services provided to Head Start children and families in 2002. Download PDF
Mar 10, 2003 | Rachel Schumacher and Tanya Rakpraja A Snapshot of Head Start Children, Families, Teachers, and Programs: 1997 and 2001 With the federal Head Start program scheduled for reauthorization by Congress in 2003, there is a need to understand what the program and the children and families it serves look like today and how they have changed since the last reauthorization in 1998. This policy brief, the first in a series of analyses of Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) data by CLASP, compares key PIR data from the most recently available program year, 2000-2001, with data from the 1996-1997 program year. Download PDF
Dec 01, 2002 | Rachel Schumacher, Jennifer Mezey, and Mark Greenberg Analysis of Potential Barriers to Creating Coordinated Absence Policies for Collaborations Between Head Start and CCDF and TANF-Funded Programs This report, commissioned by the Southern Institute on Children and Families, analyzes the statutory and regulatory provisions relevant to child absence policies in Head Start and in child care funded under the Child Care and Development Fund and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants. It discusses some practical considerations for states interested in adopting coordinated absence policies. An appendix provides additional detail about current law and provides examples of current absence policy practices in the Southern states. Download PDF
Apr 01, 2001 | Rachel Schumacher, Mark Greenberg, and Joan Lombardi State Initiatives to Promote Early Learning: Next Steps in Coordinating Subsidized Child Care, Head Start, and State Prekindergarten States often struggle with two key social goals: the need to promote school readiness for children and the need to support working families given increasing labor force participation among mothers with young children. This paper describes the challenges states face in addressing these issues, responses to these challenges, and recommendations for the future. The findings of the paper are based on examinations of three states with significant experience in developing a major early education initiative and coordination of subsidized child care, Head Start, and state prekindergarten systems. The profiled state initiatives are the Georgia Prekindergarten Program, Massachusetts' Community Partnerships for Children Initiative, and Ohio's state funding of Head Start and expansion of Head Start partnerships with child care programs. Download PDF