Each month, NHSA Touchpoint shares insights into our latest work to support your programs, our community’s accomplishments and special events, a love note or two, and up-to-date info on Head Start’s highest priorities. This month, we are celebrating Head Start Awareness Month!

Love Note to Bus Drivers and Transportation Staff

The third week of October is National Bus School Safety Week! So, our love note this month is going out to all of our bus drivers and bus assistants and all of you who safely transport our children to and from school. You are the first people to greet those kiddos in the morning. You are the last person to say goodnight. You are so important in terms of how they start and end their day and also keeping an eye out for them in between. We appreciate you so much.

Head Start Awareness Month

Every October, we celebrate Head Start’s historical roots, current impact, and lasting legacy. This year marks our 40th annivesary of this annual opportunity to draw attention to the work Head Start does. Each week is themed and we have some amazing social media toolkits for you. Please jump in and celebrate with us!

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

It is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is very important for those of us who work in Head Start and Early Head Start. We are mandated reporters, and many of our families are struggling with various forms of trauma. We need to be aware of that and find the supports and the interventions necessary when we see evidence that there may be domestic violence occurring in our children’s homes.

There are a lot of resources for you and your staff regarding domestic violence. Take some time this month to create awareness and do some training. There are some great resources on ECLKC such as a checklist of ways Parents Can Help Young Children Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence and Strategies to Support Families Who May Be Experiencing Domestic Violence. The Academy at NHSA also has a single module dedicated to mandated reporting and child protection.

In Case You Didn’t Know

NHSA’s Parent and Family Engagement Conference is coming up in December! It is one of my favorite conferences because we get to see parents in action learning and growing along with our family engagement folks. I can’t think of a better topic in the world to come together around than family engagement. Of course, the best part is that we are together, learning and growing. We hope to see you there!

In The Academy world, several different leadership tracks are starting to form! This includes the Site Leader Credential, where we’re having a blast working on things that are specific to local leadership, and the Director Credential, which is in its second semester. We also plan to launch the Executive Leadership Credential soon! We’re excited about all of these leadership opportunities and hope you’ll explore and consider joining us.