Resource Library

Children’s tooth decay is a “major concern” for 84% of Head Start health managers, according to this new study. Explore how programs address this challenge through these research questions:

1. What is the perceived burden of tooth decay on Head Start/Early Head Start programs?
2. What health programming (e.g., services, activities, education) and policies are currently in place to address tooth decay...

This brief from the Head Start Health Manager Descriptive Study explores family engagement through these research questions:

1. In what ways do Head Start/Early Head Start programs support family engagement in health-related aspects of program services?
2. What are the barriers to family engagement in health-related aspects of program services from the health manager perspective...

This brief focuses on perceptions of childhood overweight and obesity on Head Start/Early Head Start programs, as well as the use of programming, staffing models, training, and other resources to address the issue. The brief addresses the following research questions:

1. What is the perceived burden of overweight and obesity on Head Start/Early Head Start programs?
2. What health programming (e.g., services, activities, education) and policies are currently in place to address overweight and obesity?..

This brief focuses on the mental health, behavioral health, and social and emotional well-being issues that Head Start/Early Head Start programs face, as well as staffing, programming, and additional resources used to address these needs. The brief addresses the following research questions:

1. What mental health, behavioral health, and social and emotional well-being issues do Head Start/Early Head Start programs face?
2. What are the staffing models used to address this domain of health? How does staff training address mental health, behavioral health, and social and emotional well-being?..

This report provides a breakdown of findings from the Head Start Health Manager Descriptive Study for each of the Head Start regions I-XII. The report describes study methods and findings on key topics (e.g., health manager characteristics, Head Start Health Services Advisory Committee). The findings include the overall response for Head Start/Early Head Start and each region individually...

This technical report and accompanying brief examine data from three successive cohorts of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (2006, 2009, and 2014) for trends in observed classroom quality and some teacher characteristics. We also examine whether changes in some teacher characteristics (such as education and professional development activities) are associated with changes in classroom quality...

This brief explores emerging evidence from social science research on the contribution of early care and education (ECE) to the child welfare system’s goals of child safety, permanency, and well-being. The examination of that evidence points to the potential value of early care and education for young children in the child welfare system, but the best available data suggests that the child welfare population tends to under-utilize ECE...

Based on a thorough review of the existing literature, this report outlines key differences and similarities among various executive function and other regulation-related skills in research. Those differences and similarities are then presented in a visual map to illustrate relationships among these skills...

Created in 2011, the Head Start Designation Renewal System (DRS) is an accountability system to determine whether Head Start grantees are delivering high quality and comprehensive services and to implement a competitive grant making process in communities where they are not.

This report presents findings from a formative evaluation of the DRS. The purpose of the study was to:...

Health services have been a priority for Head Start since its inception and remain a core need for the more than 1 million children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs each year...