Why Early Planning for Pre-Service Training Sets the Tone for a Successful Head Start Year

Previously we mentioned the importance and the impact of structuring a quality pre-service plan with attention paid to benefits of planning early and the support that quality training can have on the outcomes of a program. Now, let’s take a look at what happens intentional planning is not done and how this affects staff on a day today basis.

Common Pitfalls from Program Records

If your program keeps internal records, you’ve likely noticed a few patterns:

• New staff are often overwhelmed by the volume of information shared during a single week of pre-service.
• Returning staff tune out when training is too repetitive or disconnected from their daily work.
• Managers and specialists report spending the first month re-teaching policies or practices that were unclear during onboarding.
• Family service staff often receive the least targeted training, though their role is central to Head Start’s two-generational model.

These are not signs of failure—they are signs of opportunity.

When programs step back and treat pre-service as leadership strategy, the ripple effect is powerful. Staff feel seen, supported, and prepared. Managers become more aligned. And children and families benefit from a team that starts the year united and ready.

Make Pre-Service a Strategic Investment. Early planning allows you to:

• Customize training content by role (classroom, family services, health, admin)
• Incorporate team-building and culture-setting activities to improve retention
• Address high-need areas like trauma-informed care, mental health, or inclusive practices
• Include reflective supervision or coaching-style leadership training for managers
• Balance federal requirements with your program’s specific goals

 

And perhaps most importantly—it lets you bring in expert support that lightens your leadership load.

Support is Available—And Worth It. Planning pre-service training doesn’t mean doing it all yourself. A skilled training consultant can work with you to:

• Review past training outcomes and develop a customized pre-service schedule
• Deliver high-quality sessions on priority topics aligned with HSPPS and CLASS
• Equip managers with coaching tools to sustain momentum beyond the training week
• Create a training experience that energizes rather than exhausts your staff

If you’ve ever wished your team could hit the ground running on day one—or that you didn’t have to “re-train the training” by October—now is the time to rethink how you approach pre-service.

Let’s Talk. No matter the need for your program, a half-day session, one day with a specific focus, a week of cohesive events, you will receive professional development that is purposeful and carefully constructed. Pre-service is more than a start-of-year task—it’s an investment in your people, your program quality, and your long-term success. When you connect with Essential Elements to create the plan that is most appropriate for your program, you will find that there is:

• a strong focus on adult learning principles
• a brain friendly design of the training sessions
• a connection between ideas, information and practice
• a relationship-centered approach to the participants
• a structured plan with specific outcomes and expectations for results

 

Partner with Essential Elements to create a purposeful, high-quality pre-service plan that sets your staff—and your families—up for a successful year.