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A NOTEWORTHY PATTERN OF EARLY HEAD START PARTICIPATION: ENROLLMENT==>WITHDRAWAL==>RESUMPTION
Mark Spellmann
New York University
There is always value in listening to the direct testimonials of program clients, but this particular mother’s story has an interesting twist. She withdrew from the Educational Alliance’s Early Head Start (EHS) program, and sought other arrangements for her two-year-old daughter. (The Educational Alliance Early Head Start program provided center-based EHS services, and was open for children from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.) Eventually, she chose to return to the EHS program. Thus this is not a narrative about a family that was completely satisfied with EHS from start to finish. Here is her story, in her own words, about leaving, and returning, to EHS.
Mother left the EHS program because of concerns about teacher turnover, and her need for full-day childcare:
Well, now this teacher seemed like she was good, she worked two months, September, October, two, three months and now she’s gone. But she was good. Oh, my daughter loved her. She was there such a short time. Well, I guess it took my daughter a while to get to know her but sometimes I was holding her and she wanted me to put her down so she could run to the teacher and the teacher was very affectionate. So I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know…and I was looking into other programs because I need to work full-time. I need to work 9 to 5. I have a lot of bills, a lot of responsibility. A part-time job would not be enough. So I was looking into other programs, I like programs. I don’t like babysitters at home. I’m really against that. I don’t like it. I feel comfortable when my child is in a center.
Mother’s experience at new child care center:
Yes it was a day care, it was full day…It was very terrible. I argued with the teacher. My daughter was just there for a week. She didn’t eat. She cried every as soon as I left her until I picked her up… Yes, and I don’t blame her because of the way they were. I’m leaving her there with strange people she’s never seen before, and she starts crying. Their policy is to ignore the child—‘They have to learn.’ And, no, I don’t think so, I don’t agree. If a child is coming into a strange environment that child needs to feel comfortable, needs to feel loved. Maybe in the first week, that first week, that child needs attention, yes, needs special attention. They need to pick up the child, make them feel comfortable, take them towards the toys, try to play with them and then the child becomes comfortable. But no, they don’t do that. … and so one of the teachers, she was from my country, she said, ‘Oh remember back home, the way they were, you know, the teachers are allowed to hit the children.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh no no no!’ I don’t agree with that, but she said that’s what they use in this program. Yes. They are allowed to hit the babies on the, they hit the children on the hand. They are allowed to do that. They said that that is allowed. I’m like, ‘Oh no!’ It was a horror. That school, the other center--no affection at all. Like they were in the military or something, like the lady said, remember back home? That’s the way they are. They are very negative. I only tried it because it was an 8 to 6 program.
A series of unsuccessful attempts to find childcare ensued:
So then I tried another private babysitter and, I mean, my daughter went through such a hard time…I had been to three different caregivers and centers and whatever… I just saw that that Educational Alliance was the best place in the world. Mother returned to the Educational Alliance Early Head Start Program:
It was such a relief seeing familiar faces, people that when my baby walks in they hug her, they, and I can’t stress…I can’t I can’t stress it enough I am very grateful that my daughter is in it… Yes and my daughter loves everybody, well, practically everyone, in there. She runs to the toddler room. I feel fortunate I just feel really fortunate to have this program although, well, I really wish it was like, longer hours…I just feel very grateful for Educational Alliance.Commentary
Clearly, the EHS program does not perfectly meet this family’s needs. Full day coverage was a problem for the mother, and it remained a problem for her. The mother has understandable concerns about turnover—her EHS site had a new head teacher every year. But as was reflected in the ratings of classroom quality we obtained from the EHS program versus other childcare settings in the city; the Educational Alliance’s EHS program was a much better place for children than most other options available to low-income Lower East Side families. And as was well documented by the recent National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) study, low quality childcare is harmful to children. But in spite of the ongoing challenges posed by staff turnover, the EHS staff was reliable, warm and caring. The facilities were always bright, clean, well-furnished and safe. Children were happy to be there.
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