Early Head Start Lessons Early Head Start Lessons Learned About AmericanLearned About AmericanInfant Toddler CareInfant Toddler Care

Lillian Sugarman, MA, MSWLillian Sugarman, MA, MSWPilar Fort, MAPilar Fort, MAJudith Jerald, MSWJudith Jerald, MSWTammy Mann, PhDTammy Mann, PhD

The Foundations of Early Head

Start

Critical Developments Influencing Critical Developments Influencing the Creation of Early Head Startthe Creation of Early Head Start

• Advances in developmental research

• Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion

• Social and Political Forces

The Beginnings of Early Head The Beginnings of Early Head StartStart

• 1994 reauthorization of The Head Start Act

• Creation of the Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers

Primary Goal of Early Head Primary Goal of Early Head StartStart

To support families in their efforts to ensure that infants and toddlers

served in Early Head Start Programs have access to comprehensive services that promote healthy

outcomes across all domains of development.

The EHS VisionThe EHS Vision• …all children from birth to age three need

early child development experiences that honor their unique characteristics and provide love warmth and positive learning experiences

• …all families need encouragement and support from their community so they can achieve their own goals and provide a safe and nurturing environment for their young

The Four CornerstonesThe Four Cornerstones

• Child development• Family development• Community development • Staff development

Program Structure & Head Start Program Structure & Head Start Performance Standards: A Performance Standards: A Framework for QualityFramework for Quality

• Child Development and Health Services

• Family and Community Partnerships

• Program Design and Management

Early Head Start Early Head Start Infant/Toddler Child Infant/Toddler Child Care: Philosophy & Care: Philosophy &

PoliciesPolicies

Babies are…Babies are…• Born competent and

able to think, learn, and feel.

• Born to communicate with the external world.

• Influenced by: parent education, income, and environmental influences.

Babies need…Babies need…

• Strong, caring, and continuous relationships

• Closeness• Security • Responsiveness• Childcare regulations that

promote nurturance• Solid educational foundations

and quality of services

Relationships: Right from Relationships: Right from the Startthe Start

• Group Size of 8• Small Adult/Child

Ratio (1:4)• Primary Caregiving• Continuity of Care• Qualified Teachers

Babies are part of their Babies are part of their culture which is…culture which is…

"the shared way of life of people, including their beliefs, their technology, their values and norms...transmitted down through the generations by learning and observation."

Meredith F. Small (1998). "Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape

the Way We Parent." p. 72 

Babies deserve…Babies deserve…• Support for their home

language• Care responsive to

their family and cultural background

• Programs that welcome their families

• Family participation in program planning

Early Head Start Early Head Start and Its Impact and Its Impact on Child Careon Child Care

QualityQuality

• Head Start Performance Standards

• Training and Technical Assistance

• Monitoring• Evaluation

Training and Technical Training and Technical AssistanceAssistance• National training contracts• Materials development• Building the work force• Raising the awareness and

knowledge about unique needs of infants and toddlers

• EHS/Child Care partnership training

Monitoring for Implementation Monitoring for Implementation of Performance Standardsof Performance Standards

• “The purpose of program monitoring is continuous program improvement.”

• Raising the bar for child care partners

Child Care PartnershipsChild Care Partnerships• Need for center based child care• Impact of community based child

care serving EHS children• Head Start polices supported

collaboration

Early Head Start National Early Head Start National EvaluationEvaluation

• Studied both EHS operated child care centers and community based centers

• Provided ongoing feedback to programs and the child care field

• Continuous program improvement: Research to Practice papers

Dissemination of Promising Dissemination of Promising PracticesPractices

• Infant/Toddler Mental Health• Kith and Kin (Non-Regulated Care)• Serving Children in the Child Welfare

system• Research to Practice Papers• Second Language

Acquisition/CRADLE

Early Head Start and Its Impact on Large

Systems

State Child Care State Child Care PartnershipsPartnerships

• Kansas and Missouri• Head Start Collaboration Offices• State Supplements

Important ActivitiesImportant Activities

• 20 years of PITC!!• Establishment of Infant/Toddler

Specialist Networks• National Infant/Toddler Child Care

Initiative• Early Learning Guidelines • Philanthropic Investments

Infant/Toddler Specialist Infant/Toddler Specialist NetworksNetworks

• First appeared in 1986 in CA• 17 States have Networks in place• Public (CCDF) and private funds support

these Networks• Many utilize CCRRA as managing agency• Responsibilities of Specialist vary from

state to state:– Training, consultation, program assessment,

technical assistance, mentoring, training for parents, resource materials, health and safety consultation and support, accreditation, starting infant/toddler care programs, etc.

First Steps: Ohio ExampleFirst Steps: Ohio Example• Funded through infant/toddler quality

earmark• Managed by OCCRRA• Components of approach:

– 12 Infant/Toddler Specialists (PITC certified)– 900 providers recruited– Pilot focused on understanding current quality and

impact of TA provided at various levels of intensity– Utilizing ITERS & FDCERS to measure quality– Testing 3 different levels of contact intensity– Currently analyzing data from their pilot test

National Infant/Toddler National Infant/Toddler Child Care InitiativeChild Care Initiative

• Operated by ZERO TO THREE• Phase I: (2002-2005)

– Worked with 20 states– Supported state strategic planning activities– Developed materials

• Phase II: (2005-2007)– Targeted work related to: quality rating systems,

infant/toddler credentials, infant/toddler specialist networks

– Tracking activities at the state level (investments, child care supply, initiatives)

– Responding to TA requests

Early Learning Early Learning GuidelinesGuidelines

• Activity in 17 States and one territory as of April 2006

• State vary in how guidelines are being used• Challenges reported associated with work in this

area: – Rapid variation in development– Alignment issues (academic vs. developmental)– Relational context in which development unfolds– Cultural considerations

Important Philanthropic Important Philanthropic InvestmentsInvestments

• BUILD Initiative• Birth to Five Policy

Alliance• Thrive by Five• Educare Expansion

Continuing Challenges and Continuing Challenges and EHS as a Catalyst for Quality EHS as a Catalyst for Quality CareCare

• Collaboration at the national and state levels

• Funding• Developing a qualified infant/toddler

work force• Family Child Care regulations• Unregulated Care: Family, Friend &

Neighbor

How can you help keep the spotlight aimed on the needs of infants and

toddlers?

Because all babies & toddlers need:

Good Health

Strong Families

Positive Early Learning Experiences

You can Join the ZERO TO THREE Policy Network!

And Be a Voice For Babies!!

Who Should Join?Who Should Join?• Providers of infant-toddler

care & services– Child care– Mental health– Medical– Child welfare– Early Intervention

• Researchers studying infant-toddler development & related issues

The Baby Monitor: ZERO TO THREE Policy & Advocacy News

How Will the Policy How Will the Policy Network Network

Make an Impact?Make an Impact?

Members of the ZTT Policy Network will:

• Be Informed• Be Connected• Be Active