Office of Head Start Equity Action Plan Statement

Current as of:

The Office of Head Start (OHS) is dedicated to ensuring that children, families, and communities — including those who have been adversely affected by persistent poverty, racism, and bias — thrive through services that support the development of the whole child and implementing systems that promote an inclusive culture. OHS is committed to reviewing policies and programmatic decisions to identify any disparities that create barriers to full and equal participation for families. This includes advancing efforts to develop and operationalize input from advisory structures along with creating a comprehensive and systemic approach to equitable training and technical assistance (TTA) opportunities for grant recipients.

OHS is currently implementing affirmative steps to advance equity through:

1) Planning for parent focus groups designed to help OHS better understand the experience of families to provide input and feedback on OHS policies, systems, and services

2) Hosting TTA opportunities such as:

  • Our Role in Equity : A session on strategies that program leaders and staff can implement to increase opportunities for equity within their programs
  • Advancing Racial and Ethnic Equity in Head Start Webinar Series : Promoting anti-bias and anti-racism strategies that Head Start and Early Head Start programs can implement in their practices, services, and systems
  • PMI Equity Coaching Guide : A guide that provides classroom coaches with a reflection tool to examine the implementation of the Pyramid Model practices through the lens of culturally responsive practices and the identification of implicit bias
  • OHS Voices Café Pilot: An opportunity for program and parent leaders to connect through virtual discussions about creating policies and practices that result in equity for program staff, families, and children
  • Head Start Heals: Podcast Series : Podcast episodes that give Head Start staff information, strategies, and resources to support children by learning how to communicate about race and our role in equity

3) Revamping the OHS Website:

  • OHS completed the initial review of the Culture and Language landing page on the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) to be more inclusive of the current and upcoming resources.
  • OHS completed an extensive review of all TTA resources available for grant recipients and the general public to ensure that resources are current and relevant to diverse audiences.

4) Providing Equity Considerations for ERSEA , which are resources designed to help programs explore specific considerations as they reflect, plan, and implement Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance (ERSEA) activities that are grounded in equity.
 
5) Completing an equity content integration plan that includes the integration of the OHS Management Systems Wheel to promote a systemic and comprehensive approach to advancing equity.

Moving forward, OHS will:

1) Schedule parent focus groups for the Fall 2022

  • OHS will advance efforts towards developing and operationalizing an input and advisory structure for parents and families that is integral to OHS improvement of communications, operations, policy, and TTA operations. The purpose of this structure is to allow for shared decision-making and actions that impact the welfare and experience of children and their families in OHS-funded programs.

2) Develop additional TTA resources that will support OHS grant recipients' professional development in equity by 2023.

Please send any suggestions or comments on our plans to adia.brown@acf.hhs.gov.

We will provide a semi-annual status update.

The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) is committed to making equity a central part of how we operate and deliver our mission. In 2021, every ACF office committed to equity by creating an Equity Action Plan.