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IV. FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Children develop within families, and families develop within communities. Therefore, the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to engage families and communities as partners in supporting young children’s healthy development. Programs must develop partnerships with families that support their efforts to nurture their children and to meet other critical economic and social needs. Likewise, programs must develop partnerships with other community service providers to promote collaboration and coordination of services for families and to increase families’ access to high-quality community services. In this chapter, we examine the extent to which the research programs implemented key elements of the performance standards for developing family and community partnerships.
A. FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
Because children develop in the context of families, Early Head Start is designed to promote healthy development of families and to foster their self-sufficiency. In support of this goal, the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to develop individual service plans in partnership with families, provide or arrange for the services that families need, and involve parents in planning and carrying out Early Head Start program activities. To rate the extent of implementation of family partnerships, we reviewed five aspects of each research program’s family partnerships component: (1) development of individualized family partnership agreements, (2) availability of services, (3) frequency of services, (4) efforts to promote parent involvement in policymaking and program operations1, and (5) implementation of father initiatives.2 We examined the ex tent of implementation in each of these areas and then assigned an overall implementation rating to each research program’s family partnership component.
More than half of the research programs had reached full implementation of Early Head Start’s family partnerships component by fall 1997 (Figure IV.1). Six additional research programs had achieved moderate levels of implementation, because some aspects of their family partnerships component were not fully implemented. Across program models, home-based programs were most likely to achieve full implementation in the area of family partnerships. Slightly more than 60 percent of home-based programs had fully implemented their family partnerships component in fall 1997, compared with 50 percent of center-based programs and 40 percent of mixed-approach programs.
1. Individual Family Partnership Agreements
The revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to develop individualized family partnership agreements in collaboration with families. The agreements must identify family goals, specify timetables and strategies for achieving goals, and specify the roles and responsibilities of staff and family members. In addition, to avoid duplication of effort, the standards encourage programs to build on existing plans developed by other service providers and to develop joint plans with other service providers when feasible.
[D] |
| Source: Site visits conducted in fall 1997
to 17 Early Head Start research programs. Note: Implementation ratings for family partnerships represent the average rating across all the dimensions we examined. Programs rated as fully implemented achieved full implementation in most of the dimensions we examined, but did not necessarily achieve full implementation in every dimension (see Figure IV.2 for a list of dimensions). |
Eight research programs had fully implemented these requirements for developing individualized family partnership agreements in fall 1997 (Figure IV.2). Fully implemented research programs had developed family partnership agreements with almost all families in their caseloads, held case management meetings with parents at least once a month, and reviewed and updated the agreements with families on a regular basis. Four of the eight fully implemented research programs also developed joint service plans with other service providers when appropriate, most often with Part C providers.
Nine research programs had partially implemented the requirements for individual family partnership agreements in fall 1997. Of these, five had not yet completed agreements with some families. Four had not provided case management to some families on a monthly basis, and one did not yet have standard procedures in place for developing and updating the agreements.
2. Availability of Services for Families
The extent to which programs make services available to families and the extent to which families receive these services regularly are also crucial measures of implementation of Early Head Start’s family partnerships component. The revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to make a wide range of services available to families, either by providing them directly or through referral. The standards also require programs to systematically follow up to ensure that families receive the services they need.
We rated programs as fully implemented in this area if they provided, either directly or through referral, the services families needed and systematically followed up with families and service providers to ensure that families received needed services. In fall 1997, 6 of the 17 research programs had reached full implementation of these standards. Eleven programs had reached only moderate implementation in this area. Although these programs provided a variety of services either directly or through referral, they did not systematically follow up with families and service providers.
[D] |
| Source: Site visits conducted in fall 1997
to 17 Early Head Start research programs. IFPA = Individual Family Partnership Agreement. (a)We rated programs as fully implemented in this area if they had implemented specific strategies designed to increase father involvement, even if participation rates were low. |
3. Frequency of Services for Families
We also rated programs on the frequency with which families received services. We rated programs as fully implemented if most families received services on a regular basis. In fall 1997, 8 of the 17 programs had fully implemented these standards. These programs held regular (at least monthly) case management meetings with families. They provided some health, employment, and other services to families directly and referred families to other community service providers for some services.
4. Parent Involvement
The revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to involve parents in policymaking and program operations and to provide parents with opportunities to participate in the program as volunteers or employees. We rated programs as fully implemented if they strongly encouraged parent involvement in planning and carrying out program activities, provided multiple opportunities for participation in policy groups and volunteer activities, and involved at least half of the parents in some capacity.3 Across all of the dimensions of the family partnership component that we assessed, research programs had the most difficulty reaching full implementation of the parent involvement requirements. Five programs had reached full implementation of parent involvement activities in fall 1997. Three of these were center-based programs and two were homebased programs.
Center-based programs involved parents in several ways. They formed Parent Committees that met to discuss the operation of each center. All of the center-based programs and many of the mixed-approach programs also provided volunteer opportunities in center classrooms, playgrounds, kitchens, and offices. Even for parents who could not volunteer when centers were open, centers provided a focal point for volunteer activities. For example, parents made bibs and other items for the centers, cleaned and made repairs on weekends, and raised money for toys, playground equipment, and other materials. One center-based program did not reach full implementation of the parent involvement requirements in fall 1997. In this program, fewer than half of the parents were involved in planning program activities, the Policy Council did not meet regularly, and volunteer opportunities for parents were limited.
In contrast, home-based and some mixed-approach programs had more difficulty involving parents in policymaking and volunteer activities. When families received services primarily in their homes, home-based and mixed-approach programs sometimes found it difficult to achieve good levels of attendance at Policy Council and Parent Committee meetings. In addition, some homebased programs found it difficult to develop volunteer opportunities for parents, since most program activities occur in individual homes.
5. Father Initiatives
While the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards contain specific requirements for parent involvement in Early Head Start, they do not specifically require developing special initiatives designed to promote father involvement. Nevertheless, we included special initiatives for fathers in our implementation rating scale for family partnerships because of the Head Start Bureau’s emphasis on promoting father involvement in the lives of their children and in the program, and the impetus created by the federal Fatherhood Initiative.4 Moreover, increased emphasis on father involvement was recommended by the Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers, which created the initial blueprint for the Early Head Start program (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services 1994). In contrast to parent involvement, in which we rated programs in part based on parent participation rates, we rated programs as fully implemented in this area if they implemented specific strategies designed to increase father involvement, even if father participation rates were low.
In fall 1997, 16 of the 17 research programs had implemented at least one special initiative to promote father involvement. Many of these programs hired male staff members to conduct outreach and provide services to male family members and father figures of Early Head Start children. In addition, these research programs worked to involve fathers in the program by encouraging their participation in home visits and parent meetings, holding special events and activities for men, and facilitating men’s support groups. Several research programs also undertook special efforts to make the program environment welcoming for fathers. For example, programs displayed posters of fathers and children, tried to make office decor more inviting to men, and held special events to greet fathers and other male family members.
B. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Just as children develop within families, families develop within communities. As described in the Early Head Start grant announcement, one goal of the program is to create within communities an environment of shared responsibility for the development of children and families. Thus, the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards emphasize the importance of building community partnerships and improving the availability of community services for children and families. To assess the extent of implementation of Early Head Start’s community partnerships component, we examined the extent to which research programs (1) developed collaborative relationships with other service providers, (2) established program advisory committees made up of community members, and (3) developed transition plans for children leaving the program.5 We then assigned an overall implementation rating to each research program’s community partnerships component.
Based on an assessment of these three aspects of community partnerships, eight research programs reached full implementation of Early Head Start community partnership activities in fall 1997 (Figure IV.3). Another eight research programs reached moderate levels of implementation in this area, because some aspects of these programs’ community partnerships component were not yet fully implemented. Across the three program types, center-based programs were most likely to have fully implemented the community partnerships component. Among center-based programs, 75 percent achieved full implementation, compared with about 40 percent of home-based and mixedapproach programs.
[D] |
| Source: Site visits conducted in fall 1997
to 17 Early Head Start research programs. Note: Implementation ratings for community partnerships represent the average rating across all the dimensions we examined. Programs rated as fully implemented achieved full implementation in most of the dimensions we examined, but did not necessarily achieve full implementation in every dimension (see Figure IV.4 for a list of dimensions). |
1. Collaborative Relationships
The revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to develop collaborative relationships with community service providers, with the goal of increasing access to services that are responsive to the needs of children and families. Developing collaborative relationships with other service providers was the most fully implemented aspect of community partnership activities; 11 research programs had achieved full implementation in this area in fall 1997 (Figure IV.4). These research programs had established both formal and informal collaborative agreements with a broad range of community service providers. Moreover, program staff maintained frequent communication with these service providers to coordinate services for families, and staff from some programs actively participated in local coordinating groups of community service providers. Some Early Head Start program staff members held leadership roles within these groups.
2. Advisory Committees
The revised Head Start Program Performance Standards also require programs to establish health advisory committees made up of community professionals and volunteers and to establish other community advisory committees as appropriate to guide the program on service delivery issues. We rated programs as fully implemented if they had established a health advisory committee that met regularly, involved other community health services providers, and discussed infant and toddler health issues.
[D] |
| Source: Site visits conducted in fall 1997 to 17 Early Head Start research programs. |
Seven research programs reached full implementation of this aspect of community partnership activities in fall 1997. Although all but one of the research programs had established a health advisory committee, some did not meet regularly, and others, because they were established initially to provide guidance to large Head Start programs, did not yet focus on infant and toddler health issues. A few research programs had established additional advisory committees to provide program staff members with guidance on other issues such as employment services, social services for adults, parent involvement, and disabilities. Advisory committees were typically made up of representatives from other social service agencies and programs, professionals from the community, local officials, community representatives, and parents.
3. Transition Planning
To ensure a smooth transition from Early Head Start to Head Start or another preschool program, the revised Head Start Program Performance Standards require programs to work in collaboration with parents to develop individualized transition plans for all children at least six months before their third birthday. We rated programs as fully implemented in this area if they had established transition planning procedures and if all children within six months of their third birthday had transition plans in place.
In fall 1997, only four of the research programs had fully implemented these transition planning requirements. Because most families enrolled in the research programs when their children were 12 months of age or younger, several programs did not yet have children who needed transition plans, and thus had not yet focused on this aspect of the program. Other research programs had developed procedures for planning transitions, but they had not yet implemented them for all children who were within six months of their third birthday. Finally, several research programs, most frequently those run by agencies that also operated Head Start programs, planned to transition all children into their Head Start programs and had not yet explored alternative programs for children and families who were no longer eligible for Head Start or wanted to explore other options.
1In Chapter III, we reported ratings of parent involvement in child development activities, which refers to parents’ involvement in planning and delivering child development services (see pages 2728). In this section, parent involvement refers to parents’ involvement in program policymaking, operations, and governance. These activities may include child development and other components of the Early Head Start program.(back)
2Appendix B contains a detailed description of the rating criteria we developed for each of these dimensions of family partnership services.(back)
3We rated parent involvement in child development services as part of the Early Child Development and Health Services rating scale. For a discussion of parent involvement in child development services, see pages 27-28(back)
4The federal Fatherhood Initiative was galvanized by President Clinton’s request for federal agencies to assume greater leadership in promoting the involvement of fathers and focusing on their contributions to their children’s well-being. The activities of this initiative have involved the White House, several key federal statistical agencies, the Family and Child Well-Being Research Network (a consortium of seven scholars funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development--NICHD), the National Center on Fathers and Families, and others. Together, these activities have created a national momentum for reconceptualizing the way fathers are incorporated into policies. They also have set forward a research agenda that will improve federal data on fathers and will support the development of policies and programs that recognize the emotional, psychological, and economic contributions that fathers can make to the development of their children.(back)
5Appendix B contains a detailed description of the rating criteria we developed for each of these dimensions of community partnership activities.(back)
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