The National Head Start Association (NHSA) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) are collaborating to address the child care and early learning needs of student parents, particularly those in or near poverty. Kids on Campus aims to bring Head Start programs onto community college campuses, providing free, high-quality early education and child care services for qualifying student parents.
This five-year project seeks to improve student outcomes by addressing the complex challenges faced by student parents and their families.
The Benefits of Head Start-Community College Partnerships
Children and Families
- Access on-campus, free for families, high-quality, early learning opportunities.
- Benefit from personalized support services tailored to the needs of parents, children, and family members.
- Explore flexible full- or part-time job opportunities.
- Witness higher education in action, inspiring future academic endeavors for children and all family members.
Head Start
- Increase Head Start enrollment and improve attendance rates.
- Fulfill “in-kind” and “non-federal share” contribution requirements effectively.
- Leverage college departments and resources to reduce program costs, maximizing efficiency.
- Develop diverse workforce and training pathways to meet community needs.
Community Colleges
- Foster persistence and completion among students with young children, promoting educational success.
- Address students’ basic needs to ensure a conducive learning environment.
- Access to high-quality early learning programs and practicum sites for enriched learning experiences.
- Recruit prospective student parents and their families, fostering a diverse and inclusive campus community.
Key Resources
Project Processes for Head Start and Community Colleges
Screening
Assess organizations’ interest and readiness for collaboration.
Strategic Alignment
Facilitate a tailored
partnership to ensure
mutual benefit between
organizations.
Technical Assistance
Provide comprehensive
support for effective and
sustainable partnerships.
Partnerships Just Make Sense
- Head Start programs offer valuable support to qualifying student parents by providing free, high-quality early education.
- 22% of U.S. undergraduates are parents. Of those parents:
- 42% attend community college.
- Over 50% are parents of color.
- 70% are mothers.
- Of the more than 1,000 community and technical colleges, approximately 130 currently have Head Start centers on campus.
- More than half (53%) of student parents are raising young children (zero to five years), and nearly half of those children are eligible for Head Start.
- The median distance between a campus and its nearest Head Start is only 1.5 miles
