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From the beginning, Head Start has offered comprehensive services to children and families. These include educational, health, and social service support all of which ensure children are ready to learn.

This course is designed to support the creation of ideas and strategies for creating an organization that demonstrates a commitment to the Head Start Parent, Family & Community Engagement Framework, including culture measures, human resources, trauma response skills development, etc.

Course Information:

• Start Date: On-Demand
• Course Level: Beginner
• Target Audience: Instruction and Effective Practice, Support Services, Parents and Families, Operations, Leadership and Management
• Course Requirements/Prerequisites: n/a
• Course Meeting Times: n/a
• Course Duration/Timeline: 30 days

Topics:

• Comprehensive Services
• Head Start Structure, HSPPS, and Equity
• The Head Start Difference—Parent, Family & Community Engagement

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and explain the comprehensive services provided by Head Start and their impact on child and family development. 
• Recognize the importance of health screenings and medical home linkages in promoting children’s readiness to learn. 
• Develop strategies to address and mitigate the negative effects of social determinants of health on children and families in Head Start programs. 
• Identify and describe the key components of the Head Start Parent, Family & Community Engagement Framework.
• Generate ideas and strategies for creating an organization that demonstrates a commitment to the Head Start Parent, Family & Community Engagement Framework, including culture measures, human resources, and trauma response skills development, etc.
• Interpret the relationship between the HSPFCE and Head Start’s impact on promoting equity and inclusivity. 
• Explain and apply key leadership strategies associated with the HSPFCE.

Head Start Alignment:

This course supports programs in meeting the 1302.50 Family engagement requirement of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) in which “a program must integrate parent and family engagement strategies into all systems and program services to support family well-being and promote children’s learning and development.”

Course Author:

Dr. Deborah Bergeron

Dr. B served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.