This course trains new and returning staff on the basics of Head Start—the program’s history, parent and family engagement, health policies, Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), and more!

Available in Pre-Service Bundle

Hiring new staff? Getting them trained on the basics of Head Start and the training required by the Office of Head Start is vital. But, it can also be very overwhelming and time-consuming to plan and implement. Head Start Basics is a ten-hour course designed to train new and returning staff on the basics of Head Start. In addition to exploring the program’s 57-year history, the modules cover everything from parent and family engagement, health policies, the HSPPS, and more!

Course information:

• Course Level: Beginner
• Requirements/Prerequisites: None
• Target Audience: Instruction and Effective Practice, Leadership and Management, Parents and Families, Program Operations, Support Services Course Meeting
• Times: None
• Completion Timeline/Duration: Self-Paced

Course includes:

• Online, Self-Paced Content
• 10 Hours of Course Material
• Video Content
• 3 Months of Access to Online Course
• Digital Badge Certificate of Completion
• 24/7 access to transcript

Topics/ Modules: (each of the following are available for individual purchase)

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act & Americans with Disabilities Act Basics: This course will provide you with a strong understanding of the policies and practices in identifying potential learning delays and disabilities and how to provide additional and appropriate services to children.
• Mandated Reporting & Child Protection Basics: This course covers general information about the legal responsibilities of mandated reporters and how to recognize and respond to possible abuse or maltreatment. Learners will finish this course knowing who a mandated reporter is, what a mandated reporter’s responsibilities are, and how they themselves must carry out those responsibilities.
• Early Childhood Health Services Basics: Health and wellbeing serve as the foundation of school readiness and child development. This course explores how early childhood programs can use Head Start’s whole-child approach to support children, families, and communities on their paths to success.
• Parent & Family Engagement Basics: Explores how early education programs can partner with families to support children’s healthy development, school readiness, and wellbeing by following Head Start’s renowned whole-family model.
• Passenger Restraint Safety Basics: This course trains early education staff on best practices, standards, and key regulations in Head Start that they can use to keep children and staff safe during transportation. Even for staff who do not typically transport children, knowing the proper way to do so is vital to ensure all staff are equipped in the event of an emergency.
• Head Start Program Performance Standards Basics: What makes Head Start the most high-quality early childhood education program? Explore the revolutionary Head Start Program Performance Standards. First introduced in 1975, this concept inspired a federal standards initiative for public schools and continues to help programs improve and find new ways to help children and their families across the nation.
• Bloodborne Pathogens Safety Basics: Children and adults in early care and education programs can be infected with serious viruses or bacteria and not even know it. This course explores best practices from the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) to mitigate the potential of this serious risk.
• Active Supervision Basics: How do you know if you are keeping all of your students safe and accounting for there whereabouts all of the time? This course will provide an effective model and strategies to ensure you are keeping safety as your top priority through active supervision.
• Head Start History Basics: Head Start is the most important social and educational investment in children, families, and communities the United States has ever undertaken. Dive into the program’s rich history in this short two-hour course.

Learning Objectives

Understand what Head Start is, where it began, and the basics behind how it operates. Implement specific skills to improve effectiveness in the classroom. Gain knowledge and skills related to special education, health and safety, and family engagement.

Head Start Alignment:

This course supports programs in meeting 1302.92 Training and professional development requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards. It satisfies about 75% of the OHS training requirements in the Head Start Program Performance Standards. It is recommended this course be taken with Bias Busters Basics to meet more of the OHS required training.

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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.

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