Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children, especially through their sensitive interactions. Educators' capacities to engage in high-quality interactions are shaped by their mental health. Studies examining early childhood educators' mental health often focus on psychopathology or negative aspects of mental…

Experiences of workplace mistreatment are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. Workplace mistreatment among early childhood education workers is underexplored in the United States. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Worker Well-Being Questionnaire was used to assess the extent and types of workplace…

Two-generation programs are designed to provide services to children and their parents, yet the extent to which parents use family well-being and self-sufficiency services is not widely known. We used data from the Head Start Impact Study to examine the effect of early care and education on parents' use of family services. Demographic…

A defining feature of Head Start is its whole-family approach where programs partner with parents and guardians to identify their strengths and needs, set goals, and access services to improve family wellbeing. However, little research evidence exists about how Head Start and Early Head Start staff members do this essential work. The "Head…

"Research Findings:" Teachers in early care and education (ECE) face tremendous challenges, which can lead to poor well-being, low job satisfaction, and high turnover rates. Thus, it is essential to understand the factors related to job satisfaction as well as the well-being resources that teachers need. The study used multilevel…

This narrative inquiry research study explored the experiences of three migrant families living in California. This research contributes new knowledge that will support Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) administrators, early childhood practitioners, elementary school principals, and kindergarten teachers in understanding transition events…

This research brief draws on data from the 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start FACES Programs (2021-2022 Study) to examine the strategies programs used to improve staff retention and well-being. Using data collected in spring 2022 after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, this brief describes the types of…

Based on the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study Year-5 wave, 1,983 children were identified as Head Start eligible children (503 Head Start enrolled children, 1,435 Head Start eligible nonparticipant) to address: (1) How do child and family characteristics differ between Head Start participants and non-participants? (2) How do Head…

Research Findings: Preschool teachers' relationships with children are a critical component of classroom quality. We draw from a sample of N = 2,114 children attending Head Start to examine child-centered profiles of experiences across two dimensions of classroom interaction quality that are often considered separately: individual teacher-child…

Head Start uses a whole-family approach to support the well-being of children and families with low incomes. As a two-generation model, Head Start provides comprehensive services for families and children from birth through age 5, and family support services for parents. Intentional alignment and coordination across these services is expected to…

Increasingly, parents of young children need postsecondary credentials to compete in the labor market and meet basic family needs. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of Career"Advance," a two-generation education intervention that offers postsecondary career training in healthcare for parents paired with…

Detrimental circumstances (e.g., poverty, homelessness) may affect parents, parenting, and children. These circumstances may lead to children being labeled "at risk" for school failure. To ameliorate this risk, more school and school earlier (e.g., Head Start) is offered. To improve child outcomes, Head Start teachers are expected to…

The 2021-2022 Study builds on the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). This report includes information on the 2021-2022 Study design and presents key findings from the study's spring 2022 data collection on Head Start children and families. The tables in this report describe children and families in spring 2022 as COVID-19…

The 2021-2022 Study of Family and Staff Well-Being in Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) Programs (2021-2022 Study) arose out of a need to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the lives of Head Start families and staff. The goal was to provide data on the characteristics and needs of families and staff after nearly two…

The well-being of Head Start teachers is essential to ensuring high-quality early care and education (ECE) and supporting children's development. The COVID-19 pandemic raised unique challenges to teachers' well-being. In this brief, the authors explore Head Start teachers' health, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, stress, and job…