A great deal has changed since March 2020, when executive and Congressional action paused payments on most federal student loans. Yet, following nine extensions, the payment pause on student loans remains in place at an approximate direct cost of $5 billion per month. The Biden Administration also has moved to end some repayments altogether, by…

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in South Africa provides thousands of needy children with school meals on school days. One, and in some cases 2, of these meals per week are soya based. A review of the NSNP revealed that many children do not eat on those days because they find the soya mince meal unappetising. As the meal served…

Federal Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) were revised in 2016 to strengthen and improve the quality of all Head Start (HS) programs. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study is that teachers in a local urban HS program in the southwestern region of Virginia have decreased levels of job satisfaction and cannot support…

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided low-income families with wraparound early childhood programming. Serving nearly a million children and families nationwide, Head Start's "Whole Child" philosophy was particularly evident during COVID-19 when families faced unprecedented disruptions at home, school, and work. Utilizing…

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…

Free school meal access has become increasingly intertwined with federal social safety net programs--including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)--to reduce duplicative paperwork for schools. The changes to SNAP that House Republicans have proposed would have downstream effects on free school meal access. The proposed changes to…

Rather than professional-driven decisions, shared decisions are central to family-centered philosophy and practices. This qualitative study investigated how four home visitors and 12 families engaged in institutional decision-making about 16 infants and toddlers enrolled in Early Head Start. The following research question was addressed: How do…

The purpose of the study was to better understand the phenomenon of exploring early mathematics through book reading. The study centers on Head Start and lays on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological framework). Two sub-questions guided the qualitative single case study of six Head Start adult participants (teachers, parents, administrators): (1) What…

The environmental workforce remains largely White, despite calls to diversify. There exists a narrative that environmental education programs can enact change by cultivating Connection to Nature (CTN) among individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). We contend that more work is needed to understand the full range of…

This dissertation aims to elucidate the complexities of chronic absenteeism in Head Start Programs post-COVID-19 to enhance early childhood education practices and policies. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates the causes of absenteeism by surveying and interviewing 50 participants from a Head Start Program in the New York…

Child maltreatment is a serious national problem. In fiscal year 2020 alone, approximately 618,000 children in the United States experienced abuse and neglect, and 1,750 died as a result. OJJDP supports the important work of children's advocacy centers and their multidisciplinary teams of child abuse prevention and intervention professionals. In…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the work values that motivate higher education professionals, specifically those who work in TRIO programs, to persist in providing support to vulnerable student populations. Higher education professionals employed at two-year institutions are essential in assisting at-risk students with services that…

South Africa's public sector has launched a variety of gender-focused schemes aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs over the years. However, emerging literature suggests that the efficacy of these programmes is constrained. Consequently, alternative approaches might be needed to address women entrepreneurs' concerns. Previous studies have not…

A program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Team Nutrition Training Grants have two objectives: to develop the knowledge and skills of School Nutrition Managers such that they are able (1) to assist students participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in making…

This study focuses on The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program. Its mission is to increase the number of underrepresented students in STEM majors. This study will explore the interventions and support strategies in The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program that support underrepresented…