Author: RWS Developer

Getting Back to Basics

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Head Start, I think about how Head Start began – and it’s evolution over the years.  It’s important that Head Start staff is familiar with the history of Head Start – as well as its mission, vision and guiding principles.  Understanding the purpose and intent of Head Start provides staff with valuable information – and perspective – as they go about their daily work.

As we all know, Head Start has a language of its own.  It’s critical that all staff is familiar with the basics of Head Start – the Performance Standards, the content areas, self-assessment, community assessment and ongoing monitoring, just to name a few.  It’s important to understand that everything we do is to ensure that children are school-ready and that families are fully engaged and become self-sufficient.  It’s also crucial to understand the importance of accountability – having systems in place and staying Review-ready. These are all functions that are important, not just because we’re required to be in full compliance, but because they are best practices for people working with children and families.

Staff often talk about how much work Head Start is.  It’s true – it is.  But it’s also very rewarding.  The joy that teachers experience when a child learns something because of their efforts… the joy that family services workers feel from linking families to needed services… the joy that we all feel from knowing that we’re making a difference in the lives of children and families – these are the rewards.

Looking for training on “Head Start 101: Getting Back to Basics”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

The Life of a New Head Start Director

Are you a new Head Start or Early Head Start Director?  Let me offer you my congratulations! This is a wonderful opportunity and, as I’m sure you’ve already found out, the beginning of an exciting journey.

As a Head Start Director, you are responsible for ensuring that the children and families receive high quality services, that your program is fully compliant with all regulations, and that you provide great leadership to your staff.  I know what you’re saying…….. I have a million things on my to-do list… so many things to address.  Where do I start?

We’ve found that there are 3 key areas for Head Start Directors to focus on:

  • Build relationships.  Having good working relationships is key.  Take time to build relationships with the staff – the staff at your office and the staff at the centers.  Get to know your Policy Council and Board members.  Reach out to your community – to other service providers.  And establish a good relationship with your Program Specialist.
  • Plan well and create systems.  Good planning is essential in Head Start.  Whether you’re designing training for your staff or preparing for a successful Federal Review, plan with your key stakeholders.  And be sure that the planning consists of setting up systems in your program – spelled out in your policies and procedures manual.
  • Provide strong leadership.  One of your most important roles is to provide great leadership to your staff.  Share your vision with the staff – and the critical role that the staff plays in your vision.  Make strategic planning a priority – set goals and monitor the progress frequently.  Communicate your expectations and provide staff with feedback and support.

Looking for “New Head Start Director Training: The Keys to Head Start”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Essential Tips: Creating Impactful Training for Your Staff

Tip #1: Take time to recognize staff accomplishments and program successes

Even though training days are always busy, it’s important to take time to acknowledge successes and achievements in your program – and the role that staff played in it. Also recognize staff’s accomplishments – getting a degree, learning a new skill or reaching a goal. There’s always enough time to recognize the people who are serving our children and families.

Tip #2: Use a combination of training techniques to engage all types of learners.

Since everyone absorbs information differently, it’s critical to present information in a variety of training styles. We find that the most successful technique is a combination – presenting the new information followed by a practical experience. Begin by sharing the information via lecture and a powerpoint presentation. Follow it up with a high level of interaction – lively discussion and hands-on activities for participants to “experience” the new information and put it into practice.

Tip #3: Follow up pre-service training with regular training opportunities throughout the year.

People take in new information a little at a time. Instead of presenting a lot of new information at once, create multiple training opportunities for staff. Create a comprehensive, layered plan to provide training to staff throughout the year – once a month if you can. Lay a foundation of learning and then build on it – a little at a time.

Interested in impactful training for your staff? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

A Time for Reflective Supervision

Reflective supervision and coaching is becoming more of a growing need in Head Start. The more we ask staff to be involved in the emotional needs of families, the more staff requires emotional support. Reflective supervision provides an opportunity to explore the many emotions and experiences that occur in a relationship – relationships between the supervisor and the staff person, between the staff person and the parent, and between the parent and the child. It is essential to understand how each of these relationships affects the other.

Reflective supervision and coaching provides an opportunity to:

  • understand the experiences that each of our families brings to us;
  • understand the beliefs and experiences that our staff brings to their interactions with children and families; and
  • incorporate the new knowledge from these understandings to increase the staff’s skills in working with children and families through a shared partnership with the supervisor.

Training on reflective supervision includes hands-on practice with emotionally-sensitive listening and responding skills. Supervisors are provided with role plays, real-life case scenarios and sensitive, constructive feedback through coaching. The training experience will serve as a model for creating a Head Start setting in which reflective supervision will be put into consistent practice.

Looking for training on reflective supervision and coaching? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Case Management: An Opportunity to Achieve Positive Family Outcomes

The Family Service Worker is the first point of contact for our families. They play an essential role in your program, especially in the area of case management. Case management is a process that was not well-named as our families aren’t “cases” and our job is not to “manage” them.

We see case management as a process that includes:

  • establishing a good working relationship with the family;
  • implementing a goal-setting process with the family;
  • linking the family to services and resources;
  • following up with the family regularly and maintaining good documentation; and
  • “closing the loop” to ensure that the family receives all needed services.

“Closing the loop” is a follow-up system that confirms that each family is linked to all needed services.  The Family Service Worker systematically checks in with the family on a regular basis assisting the family in accessing services, following up to ensure they are satisfied with the services, and providing guidance and support until the child and family receives all needed services.

We utilize a family strengths-based model, utilizing each family’s individual strengths, to assist them in achieving their goals. Strong planning and organizational skills as well as keeping families engaged are keys to successful case management. An effective case management system leads to positive outcomes for children and families.

Looking for case management training for your Family Service Workers?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Teachers: Time to Reflect, Renew and Re-energize

We are often asked how to keep good teachers motivated . . . as well as how to just keep them.  In the face of the many changes in Head Start, teachers have more data to collect, more paperwork to complete and more things to focus on than ever.  It is challenging to find ways to keep good teachers motivated to practice their craft and also to find ways to retain good teachers.

We’ve found that successful teacher training in this area includes the following 3 points:

Reflect back on why teachers got into this field.

Take time to help teachers remember why they got into the teaching field.  Help them get back in touch with the joy that they experience from teaching children.  Reconnect your teachers with the feeling that they get when a child learns something because of their efforts, when children become ready for Kindergarten because of their skills, and when children learn to love school because of their talents.

Renew our understanding of the new requirements in Head Start.

It’s true – the expectations for Head Start teachers are different than they used to be.  Because of CLASS and Recompetition, the focus for teachers has changed and they feel pressure to get high CLASS scores.  Teachers have to collect more data and fill out more paperwork, because of the new school readiness requirements.  The reality, however, is that there are new requirements in Head Start and it’s important to accept them.

Re-energize teachers to accept the changes in Head Start and reclaim their passion for teaching.

Let teachers know that we acknowledge that they have different responsibilities than they did in the past.  Because the face of Head Start has changed, there are new expectations for teachers (and other staff).  While these changes are numerous and challenging, they are here to stay and it’s important that we accept and embrace them.  It’s critical to help teachers reclaim the passion they have for teaching – to remind them of why they became a teacher and why their daily efforts are so important in the lives of young children and families.

Looking for training for your Teachers on renewing their passion and joy for teaching?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

The Role of the Center Director

Center Directors are instrumental in running a high quality Head Start and Early Head Start program.  The position of Center Director is like a mini-Program Director.  They are leaders of your centers – or as we like to call them, your “school readiness academies.”

We’ve found that effective and efficient Center Directors take the following approach to running their center:

Strong leadership and accountability is the foundation.

Center Directors are the leader of their center and are ultimately responsible for everything that occurs there. Roles and responsibilities of Center Directors include leading their staff, monitoring their center and data management, just to name a few.  Center Directors are charged with ensuring that school readiness and family engagement services are provided at their center.

Excellent customer service is provided to everyone.

The Center Director is the point person for many people inside and outside of the program.  Interacting with children, parents, staff and community partners is an everyday occurrence for Center Directors.  It’s essential that Center Directors understand what excellent customer service looks like and know the importance of providing it at all times.

Compliance monitoring is conducted regularly.

It’s critical that ongoing monitoring is a daily occurrence at the center, led by the Center Director.  Health and safety checks in the center and on the playground, classroom observations and folder checks are just a few of the items to be monitored at centers.  Being in compliance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations is fundamental to a successful Head Start and Early Head Start program.

We provide training for Center Directors that is focused on developing strong leaders.  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Effective Communication Results in Better Outcomes

“It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it.” How many times have you heard that? Poor communication is the cause of many challenges – challenges that can affect many areas of your program.  Child and family outcomes will not be as high as they could be if high-functioning relationships are not in place. Effective communication is critical for building relationships between teachers and families – and that includes both the children and their parents. Family service workers and home visitors must build strong relationships with parents. And communication is key to building successful working relationships between staff and co-workers.

So, how can you solve communication problems? We focus on 3 factors that help build effective communication skills and successful relationships.

Build a secure foundation.

When building a relationship, you have to make the person feel safe and secure. This is true whether we’re talking about a teacher working with a child – or a family service worker or home visitor working with a parent. When the child feels safe and secure, they are ready to learn. When a parent feels safe and secure, they are open to talking about and addressing issues as they work toward self-sufficiency.

Demonstrate professionalism.

Act like a professional” is overused and often misunderstood. Professionalism doesn’t mean working a corporate job or wearing a suit but rather, demonstrating a professional attitude. It means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity and accountability. It means communicating appropriately and always finding a way to be productive. It involves boundaries, intentionality and ensuring that the customer is always heard.

Focus on outcomes.

When children feel safe and secure, they learn more and their assessment scores are higher. When family service workers and home visitors build a true partnership with parents, parents engage more. They feel safe and are more willing to address the challenges in their life. When staff have strong working relationships with each other, everyone is more productive. Accomplishments thrive.

We provide staff training on effective communication, building relationships, and professionalism. We can help increase the child and family outcomes within your program. Give us a call at (704) 451-3255.

Highlights from the NHSA Webinar – “Fiscal Year 2015 Budget”

In case you weren’t able to view the March 11th National Head Start Association webinar on the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, there were some interesting points of discussion and worthwhile news on upcoming opportunities. Items discussed include the increase in Head Start funding, the President’s 2015 budget proposal, upcoming opportunities, NHSA’s top advocacy priorities, and NHSA’s advocacy plan for the next 2 months. See the bulleted highlights below for the details.

Head Start Funding FY 2008 – FY 2014:

  • Head Start’s funding level has increased significantly. In FY 2008, Head Start’s funding level was approximately 6.8 billion and in FY 2014, it is just over 8.5 billion. While most federal programs’ funds recently decreased, (including child welfare, education and health), Head Start’s funds have increased. This is due to your great advocacy work!

FY 2015 President’s Budget Proposal:

  • Head Start/Early Head Start
    • $8.868 billion ($270 million increase)
    • $8.193 billion in base funding (including $100 million COLA)
    • $650 million for Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships ($150 million increase)
    • $25 million for DRS transition
  • Opportunity, Growth & Security Initiative
    • $56 billion fund that includes $800 million for Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships and for “supporting Head Start grantees who are expanding program duration and investing in teacher quality”
  • Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting
    • $500 million total funding (roughly $120 million increase); 15 billion over 10 years
  • Child Care and Development Fund
    • $750 million mandatory; $57 million increase in discretionary money
  • Community Services Block Grant
    • $350 million in total funding (cut of $324 million)
  • Race to the Top – Pre-K
    • $500 million in discretionary Race to the Top funding ($250 million increase over FY 2014)
    • $1.3 billion in FY 2015 for State partnership Pre-K (Strong Start)

Opportunities for the Head Start Community:

  • Rethink & refresh – let’s put the sequester behind us and promote our commitment to quality.
  • Consider Early Head Start – Child Care partnerships to serve more birth to 3 children with the new funding.
  • Position Head Start as the most accountable and effective early childhood education and driver of economic mobility.

NHSA’s Top Advocacy Priorities:

  • Head Start funding
  • Preventing resumption of sequester of 2016
  • Positioning Head Start in the President’s Plan and Strong Start legislation
  • DRS mitigation
  • Implementing the Policy Agenda
  • Preparations for Reauthorization

Advocacy Plan – March & April:

  • Workforce State of Emergency – Call for stories: NHSA is looking for stories from Head Start staff who are struggling due to not receiving a livable wage. We are also looking for stories of other struggles (i.e. stress, healthcare costs, continuing education, etc.). These stories will become our advocacy activities.  For more information – go.nhsa.org/workforce-emergency.
  • Members of Congress are on a 2-week recess in April (weeks of April 14th & April 24th). Invite them to visit your program to say thank you and to remind them that Head Start changes the lives of children and families in their district and across the country.

Tips for Preparing for a Successful Federal Monitoring Review

Tip #1:  Have a comprehensive ongoing monitoring system in place.

The system should include an ongoing monitoring tool, calendar and procedure. Also be sure that your ongoing monitoring system includes a way to document the non-compliances that are found – and that they’re corrected in a timely manner.

Tip #2:  The Board of Directors & Policy Council articulate their roles and responsibilities.

The Board of Directors understands their increased role – that they have fiscal and legal responsibility for the program. During the interviews, your Board and Policy Council talk about the (1) training they received; (2) monthly reports they receive; and (3) items that they review and approve.

Tip #3:  Have a system in place for everything.

Reviewers are looking for systems and want to hear you and your staff talk about the systems that you have in place in your program. Answer their questions by describing the systems that are in place (i.e. First we do this, then we do that, etc…), showing that the same thing is done for all children and families.

Interested in a Mock Review to prepare for a successful Federal Monitoring Review?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255.