Introduction
Seventeen grantees are leading the way in developing Early Head Start programs. They are not only tackling the challenges of implementing comprehensive services for diverse families, they are also working with researchers to improve our knowledge about effective program strategies to promote healthy child development and family well-being in low-income families. As part of the first group of EHS programs funded, they are on the forefront in designing and implementing programs that meet the general Early Head Start program guidelines.1 As participants in the Early Head Start National Research and Evaluation Project, they are demonstrating what Early Head Start programs can accomplish and sharing their experiences and the lessons they have learned in creating Early Head Start programs and developing high-quality services for infants and toddlers and their families.
This volume and its companion volumes are the first of two reports designed to share the experiences of the 17 Early Head Start research programs with others. The first report focuses on the programs early in their implementation (fall 1997), approximately two years after they were funded and one year after they began serving families. Volume I examines the characteristics and experiences of the 17 research programs from a cross-site perspective, focusing on the similarities and differences among the programs in fall 1997. Volume III analyzes the levels of program implementation achieved by the programs across program areas in fall 1997. Following a brief description of Early Head Start and the national evaluation, this volume presents in-depth profiles of each of the research programs in fall 1997.