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ERIC Number: EJ1470507
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1707
Available Date: 2024-06-18
"Hey, What Do You Need?": How Head Start Directors Responded to COVID-19 Challenges
H. Callie Silver1; Sarai Coba-Rodriguez2
Early Childhood Education Journal, v53 n5 p1645-1656 2025
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 qualitative interviews with 20 Head Start Directors from multiple regions in Illinois and across two different time-points, this study aims to identify the resources that Head Start programs provided for families during COVID-19, and describe the challenges they faced. Findings revealed that all Head Start centers provided families with basic need resources, while some, through community partnerships and grantee relationships, were able to secure additional funding to allocate cash awards for families in more dire need. Using technology needed for remote learning was a challenge for staff, teachers, and families, and many Directors expressed that their ability to continue meeting the needs of children with special needs during closures was less than ideal. Our findings highlight the critical role that Head Start plays for families and ways that practice can be improved in non-pandemic times.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families (ACF) (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Head Start
Grant or Contract Numbers: 90YR01210100
Author Affiliations: 1Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Center on Early Childhood Stanford, CA, USA; 2University of Illinois Chicago, Educational Psychology Chicago, IL, USA