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Part 1: Center-Based Programs
Early Head Start Program Profile
Northwest Tennessee Head Start
McKenzie, Tennessee
October 21-24, 1997
Northwest Tennessee Head Start operates an Early Head Start program for 75 families in child development centers located in five rural Tennessee counties and in the town of Jackson, Tennessee. The program serves mostly African American, single-parent families who are receiving welfare cash assistance. Many parents are teenagers who live at home with their own mothers. The Early Head Start centers provide full-day, full-year child care and parent training activities. Program staff also provide family development services and referrals designed to assist families in achieving self-sufficiency. The program focuses on providing developmentally appropriate and responsive care in a nurturing environment.
OVERVIEW
Northwest Tennessee Head Start (NWTHS) is a program of the Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council, a community action agency. The agency has operated a Head Start (HS) program since 1965, and at the time of the site visit, it was serving more than 1,300 children and their families in 13 counties. NWTHS operates the Early Head Start (EHS) program in six counties: Carroll, Fayette, Lauderdale, Madison, Obion, and Tipton.
Community Context. With the exception of Madison County, all of these communities are rural and have large proportions of families living in poverty. Families in the EHS program face problems that many rural communities face, including lack of transportation to jobs and services, lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs, and an inadequate supply of medical care providers and specialists located near where families live. Although the supply of child care varies by county, in general there are not enough good-quality slots available. Many families cannot access child care centers because they lack transportation.
Program Model. NWTHS operates a center-based program that offers child care from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round while parents work or attend school. Each child is assigned a primary caregiver who provides basic caregiving, conducts regular developmental assessments, conducts four home visits each year, and maintains communication with parents about each child's developmental progress and needs. Case managers at each center provide family development and case management services.
Families. NWTHS serves mostly African-American families, but about 10 percent of families are white. At the time of the site visit, one family was Hispanic and spoke Spanish as a first language. Although some families are two-parent families, most families are headed by a single parent. A significant proportion of families are headed by teenage mothers, many of whom live at home with their own mothers.
Approximately 10 percent of mothers were pregnant when they enrolled
in the program. About 80 percent of families were receiving welfare cash assistance when they
enrolled, and all of these families are participating in Families First, Tennessee's welfare reform
program.
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NWTHS operates the EHS program in Carroll, Fayette, Lauderdale, Madison, Obion, and Tipton counties. With the exception of Madison County, all of these communities are rural and have large proportions of families living in poverty. Madison County contains the area's largest town, Jackson, which has a population of just under 50,000 residents. According to the agency's most recent community needs assessment, more than 23 percent of children under 18 in the agency's service area live in poverty. The majority of these children are younger than 6 years old and live in single-parent families. In addition, although the level of crime has risen in Jackson, other areas served by the program boast relatively low crime rates. Most EHS families live in rural areas that lack jobs that pay more than minimum wage and the public transportation services necessary for getting to work. However, some EHS parents work in manufacturing jobs in the garment industry or for shoe or furniture companies. Others work in nursing homes or in other service jobs. Almost all of these jobs pay low-wages and do not offer benefits. |
Staffing. The program is staffed by a director who provides leadership to the EHS staff and is responsible for oversight of the program. Three specialists--an early childhood development specialist, an early childhood health services specialist, and a family and community partnerships specialist--participate with the director in a senior management team responsible for managing and supervising the program. Center managers at each of the six centers are responsible for staff supervision and operations at each site. The program employs 23 teachers who work directly with infants and toddlers. One case manager at each center is responsible for working with families to assess needs, set goals, plan services, and track progress and services received.
RECRUITMENT AND ENROLLMENT
Program Eligibility. To be eligible for the program, families must have incomes at or below the poverty level, have an eligible child under 3, and live in one of the six counties in which EHS operates.
Recruiting Strategies. NWTHS recruited the initial group of EHS families in a variety of ways. The agency received a list of income-eligible families with infants and toddlers from the Tennessee Department of Human Services and sent letters to these families. The local health departments and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs referred several families to the program, and current Head Start families encouraged their friends, relatives, and neighbors to apply. Particularly in Madison County, the staff recruited many families by going door-to-door in low-income neighborhoods. As community awareness about the program increases, staff members anticipate that many more families will express interest in the program. In fact, at the time of the site visit, centers in five of the six participating counties already had waiting lists for the EHS program.
Enrollment. NWTHS EHS has the capacity to serve 75 children and their families. The program reached full enrollment in July 1997 and has enrolled 75 families (43 of whom are participating in the EHS evaluation research). The nonresearch families have children who were too old to participate in the research (more than 12 months old) when they enrolled in the program. As children age out of the program and transition into Head Start, the program planned to enroll additional research families. NWTHS was planning to enroll at least 75 research families by June 30, 1998.
The program enrolled the initial group of eligible families on a first-come, first-served basis. However, in the future the program will consider prioritizing families according to need and may give priority to teen parents and families who have children with disabilities.
Enrolled families bring many strengths to the program. Families take
responsibility for bringing their children to the EHS centers daily, and program attendance has
been high. Most parents are enthusiastic about their children's participation in the program and
are eager to learn about their children's
development. Many parents have volunteered in the EHS infant and toddler rooms. In addition, most
parents are participating in Families First, Tennessee's welfare reform initiative, and are attempting
to enter the work force and achieve self-sufficiency. All teen parents enrolled in the program
are still in high school.
At the same time, EHS families face considerable challenges. Almost all families have incomes below the poverty level, and many lack the education necessary to obtain jobs that can provide adequate income to support their families. With the exception of the families in Madison County, EHS families live in rural areas where public transportation is not available. Lack of reliable transportation is a significant barrier to self-sufficiency for many families. Some parents work in second- or third-shift jobs and need child care during evening or overnight hours. Few spaces are available in regulated child care settings during these hours.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CORNERSTONE
Center-Based Child Development Services. NWTHS EHS plans to provide child development services to all families through full-year center-based programs. At the time of the site visit, the program was operating center-based programs in five of the six participating counties. The program delayed opening its EHS center in Lauderdale County because of problems with the facility's roof. However, renovations were close to completion, and NWTHS planned to open the center in early 1998.
The EHS centers are open year-round for up to 12 hours per day (from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) so that parents can work or attend school. At the time of the site visit, most children attended the centers from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., although some children arrived earlier and left later. Each center operates separate rooms for infants and toddlers.
Although staff members draw on a variety of resources, all centers
use The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers, developed by Teaching Strategies, as their
primary infant/toddler curriculum.
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By providing developmentally appropriate and responsive care in a nurturing environment, program staff members believe that they will positively influence child outcomes. The program's goals for child development include ensuring that health problems are identified and addressed and that children with disabilities or delays are identified and connected with early intervention services as early as possible; increasing self-esteem and independence; and enhancing cognitive abilities, social skills, and children's willingness to share. Staff expect that children who transition out of EHS will be ready to learn. |
Other resources used by teachers include Games to Play with 2-Year-Olds, Games to Play with Babies, Playtime Learning Games for Young Children, and Talking to Your Baby.
NWTHS is in the process of obtaining National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation for all of its Head Start and EHS centers. During the time of the site visit, validators from NAEYC were visiting the centers and observing HS classrooms and EHS infant and toddlers rooms as part of the accreditation process.
Child-staff ratios are four to one in all centers except the Washington Douglas Center in Madison County, where the ratio for infants is three to one. The Washington Douglas Center is the largest of the EHS centers and has two infant rooms in which the group size is six.
As part of their pre-service training, all EHS staff members attended a two-week course on infant and toddler caregiving sponsored by the University of Tennessee at Martin. All EHS teachers, assistant teachers, and center managers have a child development associate (CDA) credential or are actively working toward obtaining the credential. All staff members expected to complete course work for the CDA by the end of 1997.
NWTHS covers the full cost of the child care centers and provides all diapers, infant formula, and food for the children. All centers participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child and Adult Care Food Program, and staff members are trained in nutrition and food preparation for infants and toddlers. Staff members conducted an initial nutritional assessment for each child by talking with parents about each child's eating habits, ability to eat solid foods, likes and dislikes, and allergies. In collaboration with parents, the program introduces soft foods and finger foods as soon as infants are ready for them. In addition to providing meals at the centers, the program conducts workshops for parents about nutrition and food preparation for infants and toddlers.
Other Child Care Services. Some parents work second- and third-shift jobs and need child care outside of EHS program hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.). NWTHS refers these families to the child care brokerage service in the county in which the family lives. In some counties, this service is provided by NWTHS's grantee agency, Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council. Although some counties have 24-hour child care centers, the staff feels that good-quality child care for those who work second and third shifts is in short supply.
Group Child Development Activities. In addition, each center has monthly parent meetings that are usually held during the evening. During these meetings, parent training on a variety of topics is provided by center managers, case managers, and outside speakers. NWTHS also holds a series of agency-wide parenting workshops and provides transportation, meals, and child care for parents who attend them. Each year parents complete a parent training needs survey in which they suggest and rank training topics, and staff members use the results of this survey to plan training sessions.
Home Visits. In addition to providing center-based care on a daily basis, EHS teachers make four home visits per year. The purpose of these visits is to discuss with parents each child's progress at the center, review results of developmental screenings or other testing, suggest parent-child activities that parents can do at home, and discuss any issues or problems that parents want to raise. At the time of the site visit, teachers had completed at least one home visit with each family.
Because the EHS center in Lauderdale County had not yet opened, EHS teachers were conducting two 90-minute home visits per week with each family. During the visits, teachers bring toys and activities for the children and child development information to share with parents. Teachers model developmentally appropriate interaction with the children and encourage parents to participate in the visits as much as possible. In addition, the case manager in Lauderdale has worked with the local child care brokerage agency, Delta Human Resources, to obtain state child care vouchers and to arrange child care for EHS children. NWTHS expected to open the Lauderdale EHS center in January 1998.
Other Child Development Services. NWTHS EHS provides parent education and child development information in a variety of ways. Teachers provide information to parents on a daily basis during dropoff and pickup. Teachers keep detailed records of children's eating and sleeping patterns, daily activities, and achievements. These records are reviewed with parents each day, and teachers suggest developmentally appropriate activities for parents to carry out with their children at home that complement the center's curriculum. Teachers also answer parents' questions about a variety of child development issues. Almost all parents have spent some time volunteering in the EHS rooms, and many volunteer on a regular basis. Thus, teachers have an opportunity to model developmentally appropriate care for them.
Child Development Assessments. The program uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) developed by the University of Oregon to conduct periodic developmental screenings. The questionnaire is designed for use by parents, and teachers encourage parents to complete as much of the questionnaire as possible either at home or at the center with the teacher's assistance. Teachers then score the assessment and meet with parents to discuss the results and suggest parent-child activities to build skills in weak areas. If a toddler receives a low score on the ASQ, the teacher will conduct an Early Learning Accomplishment Profile assessment before discussing the results with the parents or referring the child for early intervention services.
Health Services. NWTHS conducts comprehensive on-site health screenings two times each year and encourages parents to participate in the screening process. In September 1997, vision, hearing, and dental screenings were conducted at each EHS center. At the time of the site visit, the staff was in the process of following up on all potential problems identified by referring families to appropriate specialists for more in-depth assessments and treatment as necessary.
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The program provides center-based child care services for all families in the program (or will soon, once the sixth center has opened). Some families need child care during nonstandard hours however, and the program refers them to the county resource and referral agency for help in arranging care. The availability of child care varies by county. In some areas, the supply is adequate, while in other counties, few child care slots are available. In all counties, the supply of family child care homes is greater than the supply of child care centers, and many families cannot access the centers that are available because of lack of transportation. The state is encouraging mothers on welfare to establish family child care homes as a means of achieving self-sufficiency. However, even with small start-up grants from the state, state child care subsidies, and funds from the USDA dependent care food program, family child care providers earn very little income. The quality of child care in the state also varies, but in general, few good-quality slots are available. Most area child care facilities are not comparable to EHS in terms of child-staff ratios, facilities and equipment, or level of staff training and commitment. |
Once all screenings are completed, case managers assigned to each family are responsible for ensuring that children receive appropriate follow-up assessments and treatment. Case managers also track health services to ensure that children receive all necessary immunizations and well-child examinations. About 85 percent of all EHS families are covered by TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program. For these families, case managers must often help parents identify their child's primary care physician, advocate for children to receive all needed services, help families arrange transportation to medical appointments, and work with primary care physicians to obtain records of well-child examinations and immunizations. Children without health insurance receive services directly from local health departments in each county, and EHS covers the cost of this care.
Services for Children with Disabilities. When health or developmental screenings identify potential disabilities or delays, program personnel will work with the Tennessee Early Intervention System sponsored by University of Tennessee at Martin to conduct further assessments and provide early intervention services as necessary. The disabilities coordinator, the child's teacher, and other EHS staff members will hold a coordinating meeting with the early intervention specialists, representatives of the school system, and the parents to develop a service plan for the child. In addition, the program will provide any special equipment or food that the child needs. At the time of the site visit, one child had a diagnosed disability, and staff were in the process of compiling the results of developmental, hearing, vision, and other screening conducted on all children and making referrals to Part C.
Transitions. NWTHS will begin planning for each child's transition EHS into its Head Start classrooms when the child reaches 3 and will complete the transition by age 3-1/2, depending on the maturity of the child and the availability of Head Start slots. At the time of the site visit, the program was also considering developing a transition room for children who are too old for EHS but not quite ready for Head Start.
To plan the transition, staff will hold a transition meeting that includes EHS staff, Head Start staff, parents, and health care providers if the child has special needs. During this meeting the transition team will develop a written transition plan and a timeline. Children will transition into Head Start classrooms located in the same building as the EHS rooms, so children will have many opportunities to visit their Head Start classroom, meet teachers and peers, and become familiar with their new environment during the transition period.
FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CORNERSTONE
Needs Assessment and Service Planning. During their first visit with families, case managers work with the families to complete a family needs assessment questionnaire. To elicit information about families' needs, case managers review with families the needs identified in the original Head Start Family Information System (HSFIS) application and ask about any changes or problems that have occurred since the intake visit. Next, case managers ask families to identify goals and activities they would like to complete during the coming year. These goals are recorded in the family's Family Partnership Agreement booklet. Case managers and families also use the booklets to develop and document a plan of action for achieving families' goals and for tracking services and referrals.
Case Management. The agency's social service specialist coordinates family development services provided to EHS families. Services are implemented by six case managers (one at each EHS center) who work under the supervision of center managers. Except for the case manager in Madison County, case managers provide services to both Head Start and EHS families. The average caseload per case manager is approximately 60 families, including 10 to 12 EHS families. In Madison County, one case manager works exclusively with 18 EHS families.
All case managers have a social service competency-based training (SSCBT) certificate or are working towards obtaining this credential. Tennessee State University provides the SSCBT training program, which includes one year of course work, a period of field observation by an advisor (including observation of a home visit), and an oral review.
Case managers provide a minimum of two home visits per year and make additional visits as necessary, depending on family need. Case managers make a minimum of one additional visit to each family midway through the year. During this visit, case managers and families discuss progress towards goals, discuss any new issues that have arisen since the first visit, and revise the Family Partnership Agreement as necessary. Additional visits are made throughout the year to discuss problems with regular attendance at the EHS center or other problems or issues that arise during the year. Case managers talk almost daily with parents when they come to the centers to pick up and drop off their children and use these regular interactions to discuss new issues, make referrals, plan services, and update goals.
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The program's primary family development goal is to assist families in achieving self-sufficiency. Program staff members provide family development services and referrals with the aim of helping parents improve the skills necessary to obtain employment and increasing parents' understanding of basic work requirements. By providing child care, program staff members believe that they are enabling parents to attend work, school, or other activities associated with Tennessee's welfare reform program. |
As noted earlier, more than 80 percent of EHS families are also enrolled in Families First, Tennessee's welfare reform program. This program requires families to develop goals and a plan of action, called a Personal Responsibility Agreement. Case managers have participated in two training sessions provided by Families First staff about the Personal Responsibility Agreement and are trying to coordinate goals and services identified in the EHS Family Partnership Agreement with plans developed for Families First. In the coming year, the program's social services specialist plans to work with the Families First program to develop a system for conducting joint planning for families enrolled in both EHS and Families First.
In addition to the Families First program, NWTHS works with many community partners to provide or arrange services for EHS families. For example, the program regularly refers families to West Tennessee Legal Services and coordinates with counties and school systems to provide Adult Basic Education for parents. The University of Tennessee at Martin, Jackson State University, and Union State University all provide General Educational Development (GED) testing for parents. The local Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) agency provides job training and employment search services to EHS families. NWTHS also collaborates closely with county health departments and WIC programs to arrange health services for families.
Other Services. NWTHS provides emergency assistance to families through a variety of sources. The agency has a small emergency fund that can be used to provide grants to Head Start and EHS families who need emergency assistance. In addition, civic organizations such as United Way, Salvation Army, and Kiwanis provide small grants when families need vision and dental care. Organizations such as McKenzie United Neighbors and local churches also provide in-kind assistance, including furniture, household goods, clothing, and toys for needy families.
Father Involvement. During the year prior to the site visit, NWTHS worked hard to involve fathers and other male family members in its Head Start and EHS programs. The agency has developed a Male Initiative program in collaboration with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Lane College. In April 1997, the agency held a planning conference for the Male Initiative that was attended by agency staff members, parents, members of Alpha Phi Alpha, and representatives of several community organizations. The agency later held a leadership conference for Head Start and EHS parents and community members and planned a Family Focus Conference about male involvement in early 1998. The agency planned to hold an entrepreneurial workshop for Head Start and EHS men in the spring of 1998.
In addition to conferences, a men's group has been meeting monthly and has participated in the Lane College Homecoming Parade, participated in a local talk radio program, and held basketball games. The agency also holds a monthly "Meet and Greet Our Men" event in each center, in which volunteers provide a special welcome to male parents and other family members who come to the centers with their children. Finally, the agency included a session in its pre-service training on how to make men feel comfortable in the centers and how to increase male involvement in the program.
Parent Involvement in the Program. EHS parents are actively involved in many aspects of the NWTHS EHS program. For example, four EHS parents are members of the agency's policy council. At the center level, EHS parents participate in combined Head Start and EHS center committees. Each committee elects officers and sets its own schedule of monthly meetings. During these meetings, parents discuss fund-raisers, plan field trips and social activities, provide input to lesson plans, and discuss any issues or concerns they have about the center. In addition, center managers and case managers are responsible for providing program information and parent training during these meetings.
In addition to participating in parent committees, parents are directly involved in day-to-day program operations. For example, many parents volunteer in the EHS centers assisting teachers in the classroom, helping with office work, helping in the kitchen, and serving as bus monitors. NWTHS also provides employment opportunities for Head Start and EHS parents interested in pursuing a career with the agency. In fact, more than 75 percent of the agency's 240 employees, including several EHS case managers, are former Head Start parents.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT CORNERSTONE
NWTHS's primary goal in the area of staff development is to provide opportunities for career advancement and for personal and professional development to all employees. The agency's staff development coordinator is responsible for planning and organizing all staff development activities.
Training. During its annual pre-service training, all Head Start and EHS staff complete a self-assessment and training needs survey in which they identify and prioritize training needs and set staff development goals and objectives. The staff development coordinator compiles the results of the survey and with input from supervisors develops a staff training plan each year
The agency requires all staff members to participate in annual pre-service training, annual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, and biannual first-aid training. In addition, all teachers, assistant teachers, and center managers must complete CDA training provided by Tennessee State University, and case managers must obtain the SSCBT certificate.
The agency also provides monthly training for staff members and parents on such topics as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), lead poisoning, behavior management, family violence, and substance abuse. However, because most of these trainings are offered during the day when EHS rooms are open, EHS staff members often cannot attend these training sessions.
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Tennessee's welfare reform program, called Families First, began in September 1996 when the state received a waiver from the federal government, and the design of the program did not change with the implementation of federal welfare reform. The program's design includes a requirement to work after 18 months of cash assistance and a 60-month lifetime limit for receiving cash assistance. Parents of infants under 4 months old are exempt from the work requirement. Participants must develop a Personal Responsibility Plan that maps out the mix of education, job training, job readiness, and support services the state will provide and the steps the participant will take to achieve self-sufficiency within the 18-month time limit. NWTHS works closely with the area's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program, which contracts with Families First to provide case management, training, and other services to program participants. For example, one component of the Families First program is a four-week life skills course called Fresh Start, and JTPA provides this course on-site at several of the Head Start and EHS centers. In addition, several Head Start and EHS centers serve as community service work sites for Families First participants who lack work experience and have not been able to obtain unsubsidized employment. At the time of the site visit, more than 80 percent of NWTHS's EHS families were enrolled in the Families First program and were required to participate in education, training, or work activities during the day. The child care provided by NWTHS EHS enables these parents to participate in required activities and move towards self-sufficiency, although a few families who work nonstandard hours face difficulties locating good-quality child care. Despite the child care provided by EHS, parents face several difficulties associated with their participation in Families First. Because the supply of jobs is inadequate, many parents cannot find employment and must participate in community service work. Because of the rural nature of the community, many parents lack transportation to get to the jobs that are available. Some parents are required to participate in adult basic education classes to continue receiving benefits, and some have become discouraged about obtaining their GED certificate. Staff members report that some parents in the program who have become discouraged about locating employment or obtaining their GED certificate have dropped out of Families First and have lost their benefits. |
Prior to opening the EHS centers, all EHS teachers, assistant teachers, case managers, and center managers participated in a two-week summer institute on infant and toddler caregiving provided by the University of Tennessee at Martin. The university donated all housing, meals, and training for the institute. Topics includes stages of development, room arrangement, and other aspects of infant and toddler caregiving. The training format was interactive and included opportunities for practice and role-playing.
In addition to training needed to fulfill job responsibilities, NWTHS provides opportunities for employees to further their professional development. The agency provides release time and funds for staff members to attend a wide variety of local, state, and national training conferences and workshops. In 1997, the agency paid for eight staff members to participate in the Success Program developed by Bethel College. The program enables participants to earn a B.S. degree in early childhood education in 18 months and is designed for adult learners. To earn the degree, participants must complete 60 credit hours of courses in early childhood education and sociology or complete 30 credit hours and submit a portfolio of written work.
Supervision and Support. Center managers are the primary staff members responsible for providing day-to-day supervision and support to EHS teachers, assistant teachers, and case managers. Center managers hold weekly staff meetings with teachers and case managers, observe staff members in the classroom on a regular basis, provide regular feedback on performance, and conduct annual evaluations. The agency director and three component specialists provide supervision and support to center managers.
To help the staff sustain motivation, the agency provides release time and funding for staff members to attend outside conferences and workshops, celebrates staff birthdays, and holds an end-of-year party for all staff members.
According to the program director, staff salaries are generally competitive with those of local school districts and businesses.
Staff Turnover. Out of 39 staff members who work with EHS children and families, only 3 teachers and 1 case manager left the program during the year prior to the site visit.
COMMUNITY BUILDING CORNERSTONE
Program Collaborations. The Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council, the grantee agency for NWTHS, operates 14 programs for low-income families in nine of the counties served by the Head Start and EHS programs. Its 51-member board of directors is made up of local elected officials, community representatives, and low-income community residents. As an organization deeply rooted in the community, the grantee agency provides the EHS program with critical linkages to a wide array of community partners.
NWTHS has established written collaborative agreements with numerous service providers, including all primary care physicians and dentists who provide care for Head Start and EHS families, all child care brokerage agencies that serve the counties in which the agency operates, child care centers, the state Department of Human Services, the state Department of Education, local health departments, local school districts, local WIC programs, and many other providers. A number of health professionals participate in the agency's two health screening days each year. In addition, South Central Telephone participates in the screening days by collecting fingerprints and photographs of each child who attends the health screenings. The agency is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce in each community in which Head Start and EHS operate.
Interagency Collaboration. NWTHS participates in several interagency collaborative organizations. The case manager at each center participates in a monthly interagency collaborative group meeting of all service providers in that county. The agency participates in the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, and all case managers are members of the commission. In addition, NWTHS participates in the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare, and the education specialist serves on the conference's policy committee. Each year, the agency arranges for several parents to attend this organization's annual conference.
CONTINUOUS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT
Early Program Support. In addition to the pre- and in-service training described above, NWTHS has received ongoing technical assistance from its Technical Assistance Support Center (TASC) and Resource Access Project (RAP) consultants. They have provided training about EHS, parenting issues, coordination between the grantee board and policy council, the revised HS performance standards, and agency policies for resolving staff differences and conflicts. The agency's RAP consultant works out of the NWTHS office and regularly attends staff meetings. The agency considers her to be part of the staff. The TASC consultant also spends a large portion of her time working out of office space at the NWTHS center office. The program has also received support from its federal project officer and Zero to Three consultant.
Continuous Program Improvement. NWTHS has assembled a continuous improvement team that meets approximately once every two months to discuss program issues and staff training needs. The continuous improvement team includes the program director, all specialists and coordinators, and the EHS committee of the policy council. The EHS committee, initially a planning committee formed to advise the agency on preparing the EHS grant application, includes parents and community representatives and advises the agency on EHS program issues. As the agency gains more experience in operating the program, the continuous improvement committee may begin to meet less frequently. Because the program began operating only a few months before the site visit, the continuous improvement team was still focused on gathering information rather than planning activities.
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The NWTHS EHS program serves primarily African American, single-parent families receiving welfare cash assistance and provides much-needed high-quality child care services. The EHS centers provide developmentally appropriate child care for up to 12 hours per day throughout the year. Program staff members, working closely with welfare agency staff members, assist families in working toward self-sufficiency and link them with services they need.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Wesley Beal, Jr.
Director Head Start
938 Walnut Avenue
McKenzie, TN 38201
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