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"Head Start has
made me
grow" |
This article originally appeared in the March-April 2004 issue of the
Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.
"Head Start has made me grow"
Benefits-and challenges-when family child care providers offer Head
Start
By Laura Bernell
When we think of Head Start, most of us probably think of a child care
or preschool center. But in Santa Cruz county, 460 children of immigrant
farm workers are among the small number of children who attend Head Start
in family child care homes. As a high-quality education program offered
through family child care, this offers a possible model for universal
preschool planning (see Preschool for all: key
questions).
The family child care homes of Santa Cruz County Head Start providers
Maria Ana Granados and Catalina Martinez are organized into learning and
play areas, marked with bilingual hand-printed signs. Granados's art center
has an easel and paints, and playdough made from homemade masa. Martinez's
dramatic play area has old clothing, pots, plates, eyeglasses, and a telephone.
The coffee table in the living room is the book center. And Granados and
Martinez are always in the midst of activities with hugs and encouragement.
In Shasta County, Kim Hender-son started providing Head Start two years
ago. "What made me the teacher I am today is Head Start," Henderson
says. "I've learned so much. I have a waiting list of 27, and parents
come as far as an hour and a half away. Head Start has made me grow."
When family child care providers offer Head Start, there are numerous
benefits to children, parents, and providers-but also challenges for providers
and Head Start agencies.
What do children and parents get?
- Home-like setting: "The family child care home is a smaller
setting [with] close relationships between provider and child, between
provider and parent," says Maria Fátima Castro, Central
California Migrant Head Start Coordinator. "You get the benefits
of mixed age groups and can keep siblings together."
- Providers from the same culture: Head Start offered in
family child care "allows parents to select care that reflects
their culture," says Castro. "Our providers are of a similar
background with parents and show the possibilities of being bicultural
while still being very traditional."
- A system of quality education: "In a typical family
child care home, it depends on the provider whether or not they are
continually learning," says Castro. But Head Start expects "that
providers continue their education and attend trainings."
- Flexible hours: Parents who work nights, weekends, or other
shifts can pick the providers whose schedules fit theirs.
- Partnerships with providers: Head Start requires providers
to involve parents in their child's program-Henderson invites a Spanish-speaking
father in to teach the children words in Spanish. "The father loves
doing this, and we love having him," she says.
- Family support: When a child in Henderson's program had a history
of seizures, Head Start sent a nurse to talk with both the mother and
Henderson about what to do during the seizures and how to use diet to
control them.
- Connections with other parents: Head Start requires that
each provider gather parents together at least three times a year. At
these events, parents chat and find out how others handle parenting
struggles. At a recent meeting, Henderson and another provider brought
in safety experts to talk about what parents should do if Shasta Dam
breaks.
What do providers get?
- Guaranteed pay: In Santa Cruz, providers caring for six
to eight Head Start children make as much or more than a teacher working
in a center. In Shasta, family child care providers are paid for two
Head Start spaces each. "Our funding follows the provider, not
the child. So if the child leaves, the provider still gets the funding,"
explains Terri Martin, Shasta County Head Start specialist. And all
the children in their care benefit from Head Start's training and support.
- Training: Head Start works closely with community colleges
to offer affordable courses for providers at convenient times. Head
Start also provides trainings to help providers meet federal Head Start
standards. Workshops show providers how to set up learning areas without
spending much money. Henderson learned new recipes from the Head Start
nutritionist, who gave her suggestions on how to include the children
in the preparations. "We had Chinese Food Day, and the children
did most of the cooking," she says.
- Respect: "To be a Head Start provider is such an honor,"
says Henderson. "People used to think of my work as-well-babysitting.
Head Start makes you feel like you're somebody."
More work for providers and agencies
Despite the benefits, not many family child care providers offer Head
Start programs. There are real challenges, including:
- Education requirements: Al-though Head Start requirements
vary from county to county, all set educational standards for providers.
Providers are also expected to attend ongoing trainings.
- High standards: Federal Head Start standards "require
dozens of additional forms and continual visits from social workers,
quality monitors, consultants," says Castro. Providers need to
be open to visits (sometimes unannounced) and to make changes in their
program.
- Tests for children: Three times a year, providers assess
children's development, health, and skills. "I say, 'Can you stack
these blocks on top of each other?' and I write down what he does,"
says Henderson. "Or there's a little car with a ball and a string.
'Can you tell me about this car?' I'm writing down everything the child
says. 'It's yellow. It has wheels. It has an engine.'"
- More work for Head Start agencies: "It requires so
much more time and energy to monitor these programs," says Castro,
because the small group size means staff have to visit more programs.
And it takes more staff time, she adds, to help family child care providers
with paperwork, parent involvement, and connecting parents with resources.
"But the payoff is great!" she says, "Now our Spanish-speaking
providers are better trained on average than our English-speaking providers.
It's changed how people perceive the Latina provider. They're as professional
as the teachers."
Henderson admits that since she started providing Head Start, she works
harder, longer and-since the two spaces reserved for Head Start kids are
funded at a lower rate-for less money, and yet, she says, "I wouldn't
drop my Head Start for the world. Not only do I love my kids, I love Head
Start!"
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Providing Head Start in your family child care program
- If you live in an area where children qualify for Head Start,
contact your local Head Start agency.
- If Head Start contracts with family child care providers, find
out the requirements-and how you can work toward meeting them.
- Tell the staff person about your education, background, and credentials,
and talk with them about how you fill a need in the community.
- If Head Start doesn't contract with family child care, ask how
you can get involved when they review their plan for meeting community
needs.
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Resources
- California Head Start State Collaboration Office, 916-324-8296,
www.cde.ca.gov
- Santa Cruz County Migrant Head Start, 831-477-5488
- Shasta County Head Start, 530-245-2842
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Extra resources from the Children’s Advocate bulletin (updated 4-07)
- Getting Organized: Unionizing Home-Based Child Care Providers, from the National Women's Law Center, discusses the growing trend to unionize among family child care providers. Finds that unionizing helps improve working conditions and get increased resources for providers and parents. Online at http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/
GettingOrganized2007.pdf
- In Our Own Backyards: Local and State Strategies to Improve the Quality of Family Child Care, from the Institute for Women's Policy Research, recommends that communities and states develop family child care mentoring programs, conduct needs assessments, link compensation to professional development, and develop higher standards. Online at http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/G717.pdf
- Investing in Low-Wage Workers: Lessons from Family Child Care in Rhode Island, from Public/Private Ventures, discusses efforts by the Day Care Justice Co-op to improve wages, benefits, and resources for family child care providers. Finds that the percentage of Co-op members living in poverty dropped from 44% to 15%. Online at http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/
assets/206_publication.pdf
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