Early Childhood Education: Head Start's Role in Very few are - PDF document

6/3/2013 Early Childhood Programs 1, 2 • Early childhood programs vary Early Childhood Education: Head Start's Role in • Very few are designed to address the Addressing Disparities comprehensive needs of low ‐ income families Yvette Sanchez Fuentes Director, Office of Head Start • Growing evidence of the early onset of June 4, 2013 achievement disparities between 19 th National Health Equity Research Webcast economically disadvantaged children and their University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill more advantaged peers www.minority.unc.edu/institute/2013/ 1 4 Overview Early Disparities 1, 2 • Link to long ‐ term negative educational and economic • Early Childhood Education Disparities outcomes • Health Disparities and Young Children • Young children from families with incomes at 200 percent of poverty and below are significantly behind their more advantaged peers in cognitive • Head Start development at age 2 • What We Know About Head Start • By school entry children in low ‐ income families are typically further behind their more advantaged peers 2 5 Changing Demographics 1 Questions • Changing demographic characteristics of • What does a high quality early families with young children in America childhood program look like? • Increasing numbers of children entering • Does it look different for low ‐ income kindergarten today are from homes where English is not the primary language children? 3 6 1 1

6/3/2013 Health Disparities 3 ‐ 7 • Income and racial disparities exist in the number of children up ‐ to ‐ date on immunizations Health Disparities • Black and Hispanic children experience disparities in asthma outcomes 7 10 Low ‐ income Children 2 • More likely to go without all immunizations • Have less access to primary care Head Start • Maintain higher rates of emergency care usage • Miss school more often because of illness 8 11 Health Disparities 3 ‐ 7 Head Start History • Uninsured , highest among American Indian and Project Head Start, launched as an Hispanic children eight ‐ week summer program by the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1965 , was designed to help break the • Child poverty , highest among Black, American Indian cycle of poverty by providing and Hispanic children preschool ‐ aged children in low ‐ income families a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, • Food insecurity , higher among households with social, health, nutritional, and children, black households, Hispanic households, psychological needs. low ‐ income households below 185% of the poverty threshold 9 Source: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/about/hstory.htm 1 2

6/3/2013 1965 Dr. Robert Cooke Memo Head Start Programs are… • Multi ‐ generational and family centered, • Defined a successful comprehensive program following the tenet that children develop in the that included health context of their families and culture and that parents are respected as the primary educators • It highlighted the importance of improving a and nurturers of their children. child’s physical health and physical abilities • Head Start services are responsive and appropriate to the developmental, ethnic, • Embraced activities designed to assess need cultural, and linguistic heritage and experience of individual children and their families. and provide services 13 Source: Introduction: Head Start Program Performance Standards and other Regulations Head Start serves… Purpose of Head Start and Early Head Start To promote school readiness by • Children ages 3 ‐ 5 years old enhancing the social and • Families with incomes below cognitive development of low ‐ the poverty level or income children through the categorically eligible provision of health, • Communities all across the United States, American educational, nutritional, social, Indian and migrants/ and other services that are seasonal workers determined, based on family • Children with disabilities* needs assessments, to be necessary. Source: HEAD START ACT Sec. 636. [42 U.S.C. 9831] * Represent at least 10% of all Head Start enrollees Vision Early Head Start serves… • Head Start will ensure that all children are • Children from birth to age 3 healthy and ready for school and pregnant women • 1,015 programs nationwide • Children have an ongoing source of • 151,342 children enrolled continuous, accessible, medical and dental in 2011 ‐ 2012 program year care • 16,257 pregnant women • Parents are fully engaged enrolled during the same period • Physical activity and daily health, hygiene and nutrition practices integrated in the classroom • Systems and policies are in place 15 Source: 2011 – 2012 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) 1 3

6/3/2013 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Trauma and Head Start Children and Families FACES 2000 Report: • Families migrate due • 13% of parents indicated that they had been to agricultural work victims of domestic violence • 32,800 + children • 10% of children were reported to witness • Birth to age 5 domestic violence • 38 states • Full ‐ day/part ‐ year E ‐ PIRC Project (128 HS high ‐ risk children and • 5 ‐ 7 days/week families): • Transportation • 44% of the children reported by parents to be experiencing trauma symptoms 22 American Indians and Alaska Natives Child Development and Health • 152 federally • Child health and recognized Tribal development entities and Alaska • Education and early Natives participate in childhood development Head Start • Child health and safety • 25,500 + children • Nutrition • 26 states including • Mental health Alaska • Disabilities Children with Disabilities Physical Development and Health • At least 10 percent of Head Start enrollment opportunities will be for children with disabilities. • Today, the Head Start Act and the IDEA call for close collaboration between Head Start programs and the state and local agencies. • In 2011 ‐ 2012, Head Start and Early Head Start provided services to over 136,700 young children with disabilities. 21 24 1 4

6/3/2013 FY 2012 Program Statistics Head Start Program Performance Standards • Includes standards for services for children • Head Start Grantees: 1,615 from birth to age five, pregnant women, and • Head Start Classrooms: 57,480 their families. • There are eleven sections of the HSPPS, • Head Start Enrollment: 1,146,468 divided among three subparts: (total cumulative enrollment) 1) Early Childhood Development and Health • Paid Staff: 245,303 Services; • Volunteers: 1,315,733 2) Family and Community Partnerships; and 3) Program Design and Management. 25 Minimum Health Requirements Enrollment by Age in 2012 • Determine a child’s ongoing source of Under 1 Year Pregnant 4% continuous, accessible health care Women 1 Year Old 1% 5% • Determine if a child is up ‐ to ‐ date 5 Years Old 2% 2 Years Old • Track and case ‐ manage health care services 6% • Obtain further diagnostic testing, 4 Years Old examinations, and treatment 48% 3 Years Old 34% 26 29 Source: 2011 – 2012 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) Head Start Demographics What We Know About Head Start 27 Source: 2011 – 2012 Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) 1 5