This study explored the experiences of Head Start parents who were becoming involved in their pre-school-age children's Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Seven participants from the rural Midwest engaged in focus group (n = 2) or interview (n = 1) format discussions regarding barriers to involvement in the IEP process and…

In spring 2020, in response to the COVID-19 (for coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, many early care and education centers, including Head Start centers, closed their physical buildings and changed their operations to virtual. Because of health and safety restrictions, OPRE was unable to directly assess children's skills in spring 2020 for the…

This dissertation reports the results of a research project that examined the effect teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and practices have on the relationships they build with their students and students' success in school (i.e., academic, social-emotional, and behavioral). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission…

This article describes a pilot project focused on creating opportunities for self-determination to enhance the community participation outcomes of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI). The pilot project grew out of a partnership between researchers at a university…

Objectives: The present study evaluated the reciprocal temporal associations between one's subjective age (or felt age) and one's social relations in the adult day care center (ADCC) over two waves of data collection, spread about 1 year apart. Method: Participants from four ADCCs in Israel were approached in 2017 and repeatedly, in 2018 (N = 224…

Background: Supported Employment has been advocated for by successive governments and policymakers alike as the "best" approach to employment inclusion for people with an intellectual disability who are in receipt of social care. Yet only 5.2% of this demographic are in any form of work and these numbers have been persistently stagnant…

Traumatic life events have pervasive impacts on health and well-being. A growing body of literature shows that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are disproportionately impacted by trauma. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a philosophy of service provision that is committed to preventing traumatization and re-traumatization and…

The U.S. federally funded Head Start programs serve more than one million low-income children and their families each year in education and health programs. Historically there have been few requirements for formal education for Head Start teachers. In response to research linking teacher education and outcomes for children, increased educational…

This study examined the literacy trajectories of 185 Head Start-eligible Black children from preschool to first grade enrolled in a high-quality early learning program physically connected to an elementary school where they attended kindergarten and first grade. Social emotional, language, and literacy skills were assessed in the fall and spring…

Introduction: Health and social service providers have limited expertise with regard to assessing and treating psychiatric disorders in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The aim of this study was to describe the development and pilot evaluation of a virtual capacity-building program (Project ECHO) focused on supporting the…

This National Early Head Start Services Snapshot summarizes key data on demographics and services for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women served by Early Head Start programs. The data in this Snapshot is a subset of the annual Program Information Report (PIR) submission to the Office of Head Start. Data categories include: (1) Funded Enrollment;…

Structural inequities influence young parents' access to health care, housing, transportation, social support, education, and income. The current study adds to the extant literature by providing data directly obtained in collaboration with young parents to understand how structural violence affects the health and well-being of their families,…

In 2021-2022, Head Start served nearly 790,000 young children, primarily from low-income families. However, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) estimates that far more children are eligible than can be served due to limited resources, heightening the importance of targeting services effectively. House Report 117-96 includes a…

Fathers make important contributions to children's learning and development; however, schools and community organizations consistently report challenges to engaging fathers in their work. As part of a larger community-based participatory research project, a local fatherhood coalition created and distributed a survey to learn how various…

As part of its effort to make universal prekindergarten (UPK) available to four-year-olds, California has recently expanded transitional kindergarten (TK) in its public schools. TK will be a full pre-K grade level in all districts by the 2025-26 school year. Other states that seek to broaden access to early care and education (ECE) can learn…