ERIC Number: ED639926
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Nov
Pages: 11
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Partnering to Reach and Support Families with the Greatest Needs: Lessons from the Head Start REACH Case Studies. OPRE Research Brief. OPRE Report 2023-296
Harshini Shah; Louisa Tarullo
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation
Head Start programs engage parents to support children's growth from birth through age 5 through services that promote early learning and development, health, and family well-being. These programs specifically seek to assist families with low incomes and families facing a variety of other adversities. To foster positive child and family outcomes, Head Start programs build collaborative relationships or partnerships with community organizations that often provide various services to families who are eligible for Head Start. Strong community partnerships also appear important for supporting Head Start's eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance/retention (ERSEA) processes, particularly for families experiencing adversities. The Head Start REACH: Strengthening Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Approaches with Families project is focused on understanding the ERSEA approaches that Head Start programs use to engage Head Start--eligible families experiencing adversities. Six urban and rural Head Start programs of varying sizes from six Administration for Children and Families (ACF) regions were part of the Head Start REACH case studies. When recruiting programs, the study team asked program directors to name up to four community organizations they partner with for their ERSEA activities. From February to April 2022, we collected data from: (1) Head Start program staff; (2) families who participate in their programs; (3) organizations the programs partner with to work on ERSEA; and (4) families who are eligible for Head Start but not currently enrolled. The Methods section at the end of this brief details the sampling, data collection, and analysis methods. This brief summarizes findings from the Head Start REACH case studies to illustrate how programs partner with their community organizations to reach and support eligible families, including those experiencing adversities.
Descriptors: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool Children, Young Children, Student Welfare, Policy, Program Effectiveness, Family (Sociological Unit), Homeless People, Racism, Family Attitudes, Poverty, Poverty Programs
Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. Administration for Children & Families, US Department of Health and Human Services, 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201. Web site: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE); Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF) (ACF/DHHS), Office of Head Start (OHS); Mathematica
Grant or Contract Numbers: HHSP233201500035I; 75P00120F37053
Author Affiliations: N/A