Introduction
Research Questions
- What are the demographic characteristics and home environments of children and families that Region XI Head Start serves? What are the strengths and needs of the children and families who receive services?
- What home and community-based activities (in particular concerning storying, Native language, and cultural and traditional ways) are available to children and families? What supports for Native language and culture are Region XI programs providing?
- What are the average school readiness skills of Region XI Head Start children in fall and spring of the Head Start year? How do Head Start children compare with children of similar ages in the general population?
- What characteristics of children’s Head Start experiences and home life are associated with better child outcomes?
The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES 2019) continues the efforts of AIAN FACES 2015, which provided the first national descriptive study of children and families participating in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized tribes or Region XI AIAN Head Start. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families. AIAN FACES 2019 is the second cohort of AIAN FACES.
As in the 2015 study design, the AIAN FACES 2019 study team collaborated extensively with a workgroup made up of (1) Head Start directors from Region XI programs, (2) early childhood university researchers who work with AIAN communities, (3) Mathematica Policy Research staff who conducted the study, and (4) federal government officials from the Administration for Children and Families (which funded the study). Members of the AIAN FACES 2019 Workgroup give advice on study activities, from updating assessments and survey items to collecting and reporting on data.
Data collection with Region XI children, families, classrooms, and programs was conducted in the Fall of 2019. Twenty-two Region XI Head Start programs were included. Procedures for tribal review and approval in each of those 22 communities were followed. These slides are visualizations of data from Fall 2019.
Purpose
The purpose of these slides is to highlight key findings from the Descriptive Data on Region XI Head Start Children and Families: American Indian and Alaska Native Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES Fall 2019) report.
Key Findings and Highlights
The Key Indicator slides highlight select descriptive findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES Fall 2019) report regarding:
- Child characteristics and family environments
- Demographic characteristics (for example, age, race/ethnicity, language(s) spoken in the home, who lives in the household)
- Parents’ education and employment status
- Household financial strains in the past 12 months
- Parents’ reported mental health
- Children’s average scores in social skills, problem behaviors, receptive and expressive vocabulary, letter-word knowledge, and early math and writing
- Children’s health and weight
- Findings for All Region XI Head Start Children regarding
- Parents’ cultural connections and identity and cultural activities they do with their child
- Children’s engagement with traditional community cultural activities
- Activities families do with children, such as how often parents and children read books and tell stories together.
- Findings for AIAN Children Only regarding
- Native and English language use in the home
Methods
The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES 2019) provides a national picture of Region XI Head Start programs, centers, families, and children. AIAN FACES 2019 was designed through extensive engagement and input from the Region XI Head Start community to better understand:
- Characteristics of Region XI Head Start programs, centers, staff, families, and children;
- Services that Region XI Head Start provides; and
- Instructional practices in Region XI Head Start classrooms.
Recommendations
The information in these slides may be important for Region XI Head Start programs to consider as they identify the best ways to serve their local children, families, and communities.
Citation
Walker, A. (2021). American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019: Key Findings, OPRE Report # 2022-109, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Related Documents
Glossary
- AIAN FACES:
- American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey
- Region XI:
- Serves children and families in programs operated by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.