National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 1

HEAD START®

BULLETIN

enhancing head start communication

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ★ Administration for Children and Families ★ Administration on Children,Youth and Families

March 1999 Issue No. 65

Family Involvement in Head Start

by Frankie Hoover Gibson, Parent Involvement Program Specialist, Head Start Bureau

As I was walking down the street

recently, a mother with her teenage

daughter saw my Head Start bag and

called out, “Is that the same Head Start my

daughter went to fifteen years ago?” When I

nodded yes, she said, “We had very little

going for us then, and Head Start came

along—it was one of the best things that ever

happened to us.” Over and over during the

past 35 years, Head Start has given children

and families the message that they are valued,

worthy, and capable. With increasingly complex demands, is your program welcoming

families and reinforcing the importance of

their involvement? Are current and former

Head Start parents involved in welcoming

new parents? Does staff have adequate ongoing training and support to effectively reach

every family directly?

Head Start, a comprehensive child

development program, always operates within the context of the child’s family and his or

her community.

The Head Start Program Performance

Standards emphasize the need for ongoing

attention to creating an environment that is

receptive to each family throughout its program experience. This family partnership

agreement process is individualized, strengths

based, family driven, and staff supported. Each

family determines the direction of its partnership and works with Head Start staff to

achieve identified goals.

This issue of the Bulletin focuses on

some of the many ways parents participate in

Head Start—from the shared decision-making opportunities in Parent Committees and

the Policy Council/Committee, to receiving

training, and to providing support to children

in the learning process.

Father/male involvement in Head Start

is highlighted. President Clinton has made the

Fatherhood Initiative, which cuts across all

governmental agencies, a priority of his

Administration. Suggestions for enhancing

male participation in your own programs are

included.

In addition, there is a special section on

research featuring the Head Start Family and

Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and the

Early Head Start Research Project. An

overview of each study is provided, along

with preliminary findings.

Finally, brief descriptions of selected

Head Start publications and other resources

are included for your review.

We also encourage you to share

with us celebrations, traditions, events,

one-on-one activities, and other opportunities you create to help families feel

welcome in your program!

Inside this Issue...

Strengthening Families 11

Fathers: The Forgotten Parent 12

FACES and EHS Research Updates 18

Gabrielle, Phil, Frances, and Brett—a

Head Start/Early Head Start Family

(Rosemount Center, DC)
2 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Contents

Family Involvement in Head Start 1

Patricia Montoya Appointed Commissioner for ACYF 3

Q&A on Program Governance 4

“Growing” Healthy Children:

The Family Wellness Approach 6

Parents as Paraprofessional Staff 8

Head Start and the Fatherhood Initiative 9

Father Involvement in Head Start 10

Strengthening Families 11

The Forgotten Parent 12

The Dad Show 13

Head Start Stories 14

Lisa Sullivan

Joy Baldridge

Frank Olguin

Child Support Enforcement, Child Care, and 

Head Start Collaboration Grants Awarded 17

Linking Head Start Quality to Child Outcomes:

The FACES Study 18

Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project 20

1998–99 National Head Start Fellows 23

Resources 24

Frankie Hoover Gibson was the HSB lead for this issue.

The Head Start Bulletin is

published six times a year by the

Head Start Bureau, Administration

on Children, Youth and Families,

Department of Health and Human

Services.

Donna E. Shalala

Secretary

Olivia A. Golden

Assistant Secretary

Administration for Children 

and Families

Michael Kharfen

Director

Office of Public Affairs

Patricia Montoya

Commissioner

Administration on Children, Youth

and Families

Helen H.Taylor

Associate Commissioner

Head Start Bureau

The Bulletin is a service of HSB’s

Training and Technical Assistance

Branch. Its purpose is to enhance

communication among the Head

Start Bureau, Head Start programs,

and interested national, regional,

and state organizations and agencies.

JoAn Knight Herren

Chief, T/TA Branch

Head Start Bureau

Jeffrey Fredericks

Editor-in-Chief

Head Start Bulletin

The Head Start Bulletin is

prepared under Contract No. 

105-96-2010 with PaL-Tech, Inc.

Jean Swift is Senior Writer for 

the Bulletin.

Head Start Bulletin

F AMIL Y I NVOL VEMENT

Issue No. 65
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 3

Family Involvement

Patricia Montoya Appointed Commissioner for

Children, Youth, and Families

O n November 30, 1998, Patricia 

Montoya was sworn in as the

Commissioner of the Administration

on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) at

the Department of Health and Human

Services. As Commissioner, Ms. Montoya

oversees the implementation of federal programs assisting vulnerable children and youth.

ACYF program areas include Head Start, the

Child Care Bureau, the Family and Youth

Services Bureau, and the Children’s Bureau

(which houses the Office of Child Abuse and

Neglect). Ms. Montoya also serves as

spokesperson for the Administration on

issues related to child and youth development, early childhood education, child protective services, foster care, adoption, and

the challenges and opportunities facing children, youth and families.

Before assuming the leadership of

ACYF, Patricia Montoya was the Director of

Region VI for the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services (HHS).

A registered nurse, Ms. Montoya has

extensive experience in children’s health,

social services, and family needs.Throughout

her career, she has worked to improve outcomes for children and families through her

work in pediatrics, school health, community

outreach, and health policy. From 1993 to

1994 she served as practice manager of

Presbyterian Family Healthcare, a primary

care/urgent care center in Albuquerque.

From 1989 to 1993, Ms. Montoya was the

executive director of New Mexico Health

Resources, a non-profit organization that

recruits health care professionals for work in

rural areas of the state. She also served as the

assistant director of the American Nurses

Association in Washington, D.C., from 1987

to 1989.

Long active in Hispanic community and

political activities, Ms. Montoya is a member

of the National Hispanic Nurses Association;

the American Nurses Association; and Sigma

Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of

Nursing. Other groups she has worked with

include: the National Advisory Council on

Nursing Education and Practice; the White

House Health Professional Review Group on

Health Care Reform;the New Mexico Health

Policy Commission, Geographic Access

Committee on Health Manpower; the Board

of Directors of Family/Child Services; and

Healthcare for the Homeless.

HHS Secretary Donna Shalala praised

Ms. Montoya’s previous work with children

and families in the community. “With her

experience,” Secretary Shalala noted, “Ms.

Montoya brings to HHS a unique understanding and valuable perspective of what

children and families need and the daily challenges they face.”
4 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Program Governance

Q:Where is 70.2 in the Program Performance Standards?

A: In the revised Program Performance Standards, all elements

of 70.2 are in Subpart D—Program

Design and Management, section

1304.50, Program Governance.

Q:What individual or group determines the composition of the Policy

Council/Committee and the method

of selecting representatives of the

community?

A: Section 1304.50 (a) of the ProgramPerformance Standards gives the

grantee/delegate agency the responsibility of establishing the composition of the Policy

Council/Committee and the methods to be used in selecting representatives of the community. The

policy group in an existing agency,

and the interim group in a new

grantee/delegate agency, must

approve the procedure.

Q:Can a grantee or delegate agencyplace representatives of the community, including agency governing body

members, on Head Start policy

groups without approval of elected

parent members of the group?

A: No.[See 1304.50(b)(1)]

Q:Who has the responsibility for training the Policy Council/Committee?

A: On-going training is the responsibility of the grantee/delegate agency.

[See 1304.52(k)(4)]

Q:How long after the beginning of theoperational year does a grantee/delegate agency have to establish a

Policy Council/Committee?

A: All policy groups and ParentCommittees must be established as

early in the program year as possiable. This allows the policy group

parents enough time to receive the

full benefit of training and experience in the shared decision-making

process. [See 1304.50(a)(3)]

Q:If an agency is both a Head Start grantee and delegate,

or has more than one Head Start

program, how is its policy group

structured?

A: Every grantee has a Policy Counciland every delegate agency has a

Policy Committee. If an agency is

both a Head Start grantee and delegate, there is only one policy 

group, a Policy Council, which also

conducts some delegate-related

business. [See 1304.50(a)(l)(i)(ii)]

Q:Can Head Start parents who arealso staff serve on policy groups as

voters?

A: In order to avoid any conflicts ofinterest, no staff member (or members of his or her immediate family)

of the grantee/delegate agency can

serve in that capacity. However, parents who occasionally act as substitutes may serve. [See 1304.50(b)(6)]

Q:Who should be involved in the policy group?

A: A minimum of 51 percent of theCouncil/Committee are parents 

of children enrolled in Head Start at

the time of their election. The

remaining members include local

community representatives who are 

recommended by the grantee or

delegate agency and approved by the

policy group parents.

[See 1304.50(b)(2)(3)]

Q:What is the limitation on the term ofmembership on a Head Start Policy

Council/Committee, and why are

there limits?

A: In accordance with 1304.50(b)(4)(5),terms of membership for parents

and other community representatives are limited to a maximum of

three one-year terms.Terms are limited to ensure that greater numbers

Program Governance is section 1304.50 of the Head

Start Program Performance

Standards. Opportunities for

parents to be involved in

shared decision-making activities with the governing body

and staff include elected participation on the Policy

Council or Policy Committee.

In addition, every parent who

has a child enrolled in Head

Start is automatically a member of the Parent Committee.

The following are answers to

some of the most frequently

asked questions about shared

decision making in Head

Start.

COMING SOON!

New Training Guide

on: Setting the Stage for

Program Governance
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 5

Family Involvement

of parents have access to the decision-making experience and that

new ideas and community representatives are available to the program.

Q:Can low-income members be reimbursed for travel, meals and

child care expenses that arise

because of Council responsibilities?

A: Yes. [See 1304.50(f)]

Q:Can a policy group delegate its responsibility to approve 

or disapprove the hiring or 

termination of Head Start staff,

including the Head Start director, to

one of its own committees or to any

other body of individuals?

A: No.The policy group may use a subcommittee to gather information

to make recommendations to the

full policy group, but the responsibility to approve or disapprove the 

hiring or termination of Head 

Start staff must remain with 

the full policy group.

[See 1304.50(d)(l)(x)(xi)]

Q:What is a new grantee/delegateagency’s role in hiring staff?

A: A new delegate agency initially hasno official policy group, but is

expected to organize and activate a

policy group within two months

from the receipt of the grant.

Therefore, the grantee/delegate

agency organizes an interim group

made up of potential Head Start

parents and community group members. This group is involved in program planning and must approve or

disapprove the hiring of staff.

Q:Can grandparents of a Head Start

child serve on policy groups if they

are not the child's legal guardians?

A: Yes, they can serve if they are theprimary care givers or surrogate

parents of the enrolled children.

This can include anyone else who is

not the biological parent of an

enrolled child. [See 1306.3(h)]

Q:How should parents be included inthe planning process of the local

Head Start program?

A: The involvement of policy group parents in the planning process of the

Head Start program includes, but is

not limited to, encouraging parents to

be involved in the development of the

grant application and all other program plans to be used in implementation of goals. [See 1304.50(d)(e) and

Appendix A] Parent Committees can

also play an important role in providing opportunities for all parents to be

a vital part of these functions.

Q:What is an impasse?

A: An impasse is a deadlock thatoccurs when a grantee or delegate

agency and its policy group cannot

reach agreement on a proposed

action. Such impasses should be

resolved at the local level to avoid

disruption of services to Head Start

children and families. In addition,

Head Start agencies should have

written internal dispute resolution

procedures to resolve governing

body/policy group conflicts.

[See 1304.50(h)]

Q:Can parents be required to participate or volunteer in Head Start?

A: No. But staff can encourage parentsto do so by focusing on the benefits

to their children and family, as well

as to the program. The home-based

option expects parent participation.

[1304.40(d)(2)]

If you have additional questions about parent

involvement in program governance, contact

Frankie Gibson at the Head Start Bureau,

T: 202-205-8399, or by e-mail at fgibson@

acf.dhhs.gov.
6 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

The healthy growth and development

of children is one of Head Start’s primary goals. To achieve that goal,

Prevention Associates in Alaska has developed the Family Wellness Approach. The

model is the outcome of a four-year demonstration project focusing on family wellness

and mental health.

The Family Wellness Approach is a

comprehensive family development effort

built on a resiliency model. It is based on the

belief that children and families are able to

face life’s challenges more successfully if their

inherent strengths are identified and developed. Strengths are “protective factors” that

can be developed to offset the challenges of

“risk factors.” This view is consistent with

Head Start’s strengths-based orientation and

belief in family and community empowerment.

There are four main steps to the

Family Wellness Approach, all based on building relationships with parents:

(1) Assessing the child's strengths and

challenges

(2) Assessing the family's strengths and

challenges

(3) Putting this information together into

a Family Wellness Plan

(4) Designing strategies that are parent

driven, and supporting their

implementation.

These steps are carried out by a trained

Family Advocate, who works with the family

and other Head Start staff.

Step One: Child Assessment

The first step is to develop a complete picture of a child’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being in both the classroom and

home settings.This assessment process identifies the strengths and unique characteristics

of the child that can be supported and further encouraged. It also allows parents,

teachers, and other staff to identify potential

risks in the child’s environment or behaviors

and address them early.

Step Two: Family Assessment

Fundamental to any child’s well-being is the

well-being of his or her family. The Family

Wellness Approach identifies the unique

strengths and stressors of the family, as well

as the child, primarily through a kinship map

and interactive interview.

Step Three:

Family Wellness Plan

This step involves taking all of the information

gathered in the previous steps—the strengths

and stressors of the child, the family, and the

community—and beginning to develop

strategies to address them. The Family

Wellness Plan is a roadmap for promoting

individual and family strengths and successfully addressing environmental stressors.

“Growing” Healthy Children:

The Family Wellness Approach

By Sally Mead

Zilma Gologergen and her daughter

Stephanie (Gambell, AK)
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 7

Family Involvement

Step Four:

Implementation of Strategies

Once the Family Wellness Plan has been

mapped out, the parents control the pace

and focus of its implementation. The Family

Wellness Advocate coordinates efforts on

the home front with the teacher's efforts in

the classroom. The advocate also connects

family members with other services to help

them implement the strategies they've

designed in their Family Wellness Plan.

Unique Tools of the Family

Wellness Approach

The Family Wellness Approach makes use of

two unique tools:

• The Kinship Map helps families to

recognize their existing support network

and think of ways to expand it. The

Advocate works with the family to create

a picture of its extended family and

friends.This Kinship Map highlights people

in the parents’ lives who provide

emotional support and those who provide

extra care for the Head Start child. It helps

families appreciate the support system

they have, and many times parents realize

it is stronger than they imagined.

• The Family Wellness Plan is a userfriendly, five-page form that helps families

identify all the protective and risk factors

of the family and child. Once families

identify specific strengths and challenges

they face, they begin to develop strategies

to overcome them.The goal of the Plan is

to help families discover ways to reduce

or eliminate risk factors, and to highlight

and build up protective factors. The Plan

should also be used with the child in the

classroom and incorporated into daily

planning.

The Family Wellness Approach offers a

way to help families expand their natural

child-raising skills, and shifts the focus of

human service providers from crisis management to prevention and family development.

It is one more tool to help our children grow

to be successful, healthy, and most of all,

happy adults.

For more information, contact Sally Mead,

Project Director of the Region X QIC’s

Alaska Satellite Support Center, at T: 907-

272-6925; F: 907-272-6946; E: Smead@alaska.net.

photos by Willa Siegel
8 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Parents as Paraprofessional Staff

By Marie Brand

Over the past 34 years, more and 

more parents have been getting

involved with Head Start as paid

staff members. Hiring current or former

Head Start parents from the community has

many benefits. It allows programs to be more

culturally responsive and to meet the needs

of families in their local area.A select group

of parents with specialized training may be

especially helpful in working with children

with disabilities. These parents have knowledge to share with the classroom staff, as

well as the potential to support other parents as they learn to respond to their child’s

special needs.

The Early Head Start program at The

Educational Alliance in New York City has

established a program for parents hired as

center staff where they are trained as paraprofessionals.The process is as follows.

First, interested Head Start parents

submit resumes and participate in a series of

interviews before being accepted as caregiver trainees for the Early Head Start program.

Next, these parents receive six hours of

intensive pre-service training on site and in a

variety of infant/toddler programs. Finally,

they spend one year studying and working as

primary caregivers in the Early Head Start

classroom. Parents also receive weekly

reflective supervision and are compensated

with a small stipend. Parents who need to

complete high school attend agency-based

GED classes.

Whatever the background of a parent

hired as a paraprofessional, her/his role

should be clearly defined, including job

responsibilities and supervision. Regular

training should be provided to address

issues related to job skills and confidentiality.

This model has proven to be a costeffective strategy for providing high-quality

child care in the community and supporting

staff in being culturally compatible with the

children. Perhaps most importantly, the program supports community development.

An extra benefit of this arrangement

is that qualified parents can fulfill the work

requirements of welfare reform through

employment as child care paraprofessionals. The internship has been accredited for

the NYC Welfare to Work requirement. At

graduation, each intern can become a

licensed family day care provider or is

helped to secure a position in the child care

field. Of the first class of parents completing The Educational Alliance’s training program, 80 percent are currently employed in

full-time child care positions.

Parents are the most valuable resource

available to Head Start programs. Through

ongoing training, supervision, feedback, and

support, they can become successful additions to Head Start and child care program

staff.

Marie Brand is Infant/Toddler Specialist at

the Region II Disabilities Center for Quality

Improvement, T:212-998-5528; F: 212-995-

4562; E: mb25@157.nyu.edu

Vonita Murray with three children

at the Rosemont Early Head Start

Center in Washington, D.C.

photo by Denise Simpson
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 9

Family Involvement

Head Start and the Fatherhood Initiative

I

n June 1995, the Clinton Administration

launched a government-wide initiative to

strengthen the role of fathers in families.

The President recognizes that strong families

are essential to the future of the nation, and

that both mothers and fathers play an essential role in ensuring the well-being of their

children. The President also recognizes that

changes in the lives of fathers must be supported by the communities in which they

live, and that communities must know what

resources and support are available to help

in this effort. All federal agencies were asked

to review their policies and programs and

strengthen their support of fathers.

The Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS) responded to the President’s

request by expanding and enhancing current

efforts in support of fathers, and by developing new initiatives. The Administration for

Children and Families has made significant

efforts on behalf of fathers.

Head Start Bureau Plans

Parent involvement has always been an

essential part of Head Start, and fathers are

encouraged to participate in all aspects of

the program. In addition, the Head Start

Bureau funded six male involvement demonstration projects between 1991 and 1994,

and several Regional Offices continue to

support specific male involvement efforts.

The Bureau has published a number of parent involvement resources, including the

Head Start Handbook of the Parent

Involvement Vision and Strategies, which outlines how mothers and fathers can play critical roles in their children’s education. Other

innovative steps have been taken to collaborate with related federal programs, fraternities, and other state and local groups to

encourage fathers to volunteer and to play

an active role in children’s lives. The Head

Start Bureau is also exploring ways to support local Head Start fatherhood efforts. A

workgroup is collecting information on current fatherhood activities across the country. Best practices will be identified, along

with additional resources that might be helpful to local programs. These resources will

be developed and disseminated as part of an

overall strategy to enhance father/male

involvement in Head Start.

The Head Start Bureau welcomes your

contributions to these efforts.Information

and materials on father involvement initiatives in your program may be sent to:

Father Involvement Initiative, HSPMC,

1025 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 1025,

Washington, DC 20005, or send by fax to

703-683-5769.

photo by Maria Ellen Huebner,courtesy of the Child Upfront Program,

Goodwill Industries, Racine,WI
10 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Father Involvement in Head Start

By Wendell Campbell and James Miller

Head Start’s underlying mission is to

do what’s best for children. And

research has consistently shown

that what’s best for children is the involvement of both parents.

Father involvement is significantly

related to children’s school success–even

after accounting for mother involvement.1

Research also shows that supportive interactions with an engaged father or father-figure can benefit children both intellectually

and socially, even if the father does not live

with the child.2

On a more basic level, children need

to feel loved and cherished by their parents. A child who has the involvement of

both father and mother has twice the love,

twice the supervision, and twice the support.

What Can Head Start Do?

Head Start should take the lead in recognizing the importance of fathers in the development of infants, toddlers, and young children.

Parent involvement is a hallmark of the Head

Start program, and we need to be sure that

both parents are included in this effort.

This can be a special challenge if a

child’s parents do not get along with one

another. Head Start, though, can play a

unique role as "neutral territory," where the

non-custodial parent can spend some time

with the child at the Head Start center.

Training sessions on the importance of

father involvement should be presented to

Head Start parents and staff.

The Head Start program needs to

send a message that fathers are welcome—

in both obvious and subtle ways.The checklist on this page can help programs ensure

that fathers feel welcome at the center. It is

crucial that staff be sensitive to the importance of fathers and create an environment

that supports their involvement. Negative

talk about fathers by staff and mothers

should be strongly discouraged.This is especially important for children, whose eyes

and ears are always open! Hearing negative

comments about their fathers, or men in

general, can have a significant negative

impact on children.

One key to involving absent fathers in

the lives of their children is to discover what

pushed them away, and then to give them the

appropriate support to become involved

again. Head Start can help by: (1) forming

partnerships to support the family—mother

and father and child,regardless of whether the

parents live together; (2) establishing “team

parenting practices,” regardless of whether

the mother and father live under the same

roof; and (3) providing staff training around

establishing a father-friendly environment.

Issues between moms and dads can be

intense and divisive. Head Start must maintain its focus on the children—and what’s

best for the children—to cut through those

parental relationship issues. This is especially

important since welfare is no longer an entitlement and the father’s financial and emotional involvement is even more crucial to

the child’s support and care.

It is important that we in Head Start:

(1) have a greater recognition of and

respect for the father’s importance in the

family; (2) enlarge our focus on the need for

both parents to be self-sufficient in order to

enhance children’s well-being; and (3) increase

collaboration and coordination around family support, including social services, child

support, and employment training.

In Head Start, the needs of children

come first. Head Start staff and parents

should do all they can to support the

healthy growth and development of young

children—and that means supporting the

involvement of fathers.

Wendell Campbell and James Miller were

1997–98 National Head Start Fellows with

the Head Start Bureau in Washington, D.C.

1,2 Based on research cited in “What

Policymakers Need to Know about

Fathers,”by Tamara Halle et al in Policy and

Practice, vol. 56, no. 3, December 1998, pp.

21-35.

When Thinking 

About Father

Involvement,Ask. . .

❏ Do you have programs

specifically aimed at fathers?

❏ Do you have staff in-service

programs improving the quality

of service delivery to

fathers/males?

❏ Do you actively recruit and

employ male staff members and

volunteers?

❏ Do you make it clear that the

father or other male figures are

important and necessary in the

delivery of services to the child

and family?

❏ When you telephone a family at

home to discuss the child, do

you talk with the father as well

as the mother?

❏ If the mother is the custodial

parent, do you also mail all

materials regarding the child to

the father (if approved and

legally appropriate)?

❏ Do you flexibly schedule

meetings at hours conducive to

male/father attendance, and

allow enough planning time so

that fathers can arrange their

schedules for the meeting?

❏ Do your newsletters and

printed materials reflect the

valuable concerns and roles

men play in the lives of their

children; do your printed

materials and hallways have

pictures of men actively

engaged with their children?
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 11

Family Involvement

Los Angeles, CA

Denver, CO Indianapolis, IN

Chicago, IL

Racine, WI

Minneapolis, MN

Baltimore, MD

West Chester, PA

New York, NY

Boston, MA

At the National Head Start Association’s annual meeting

in April 1998, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson of the Fragile

Families Project spoke about supporting families in

Head Start and throughout the community. He noted that welfare was originally established for a mother and her children—

the father was absent or dead. In fact, welfare was denied to

families if a man was present in the household. These policies

meant that if a family fell on hard times, the most loving and

supportive thing a man could do was to leave his wife and children so that they would be eligible for government support.

Vestiges of this mentality remain—welfare programs

continue to be biased in favor of the mother. Even the job

training programs established under TANF are aimed at

mothers—fathers, who also need support to provide for

their families, are not included.

The Strengthening Fragile Families initiative is aimed

primarily at the young, low–skilled, never-married couple

who’s given birth but has not legitimized the event by marriage or the establishment of paternity.

Many of these young women and men start out the

same in terms of skills and eligibility for assistance. The mom

and dad usually have a relationship, too—one that has existed

anywhere from one to two years. But once the woman

becomes pregnant and gives birth, a variety of government

supports kick in for her—and not for him. Fathers in fragile

families often can’t help, because they can’t compete with the

government in providing the support that the child (and the

mother) needs. The relationship between the two dissipates

as the mother moves into the welfare system alone and is left

to be poor alone. The father is left to move on alone, too.

The Strengthening Fragile Families initiative seeks to

change this phenomenon by encouraging welfare and family

support systems to recognize low-skilled, unwed parents

and their children as a unit, where appropriate. Under this

initiative, the Ford Foundation is supporting:

• Identification of Fragile Families—basic research on the

relationships between young, low-skilled unwed couples

before, during, and shortly after their children are born.

• Enhanced Paternity Establishment—development 

of policies and family support practices that encourage

low-skilled fathers to become involved in the lives of their

children, establish legal paternity, and increase employment, earnings, and child support payments.

• Team Parenting—development of family support practices

that help unwed parents resolve conflicts and cooperate

to provide for their children’s needs.

• Communication—outreach efforts to policymakers,

researchers, grantmakers, and the broader public to

promote the idea of reconnecting fathers and families.

• Dialogue—discussions between men and women at the

local and national level about the advantages and risks of

reconnecting fathers to families.

Pilot sites for the Fragile Families project have been established in 10 communities around the United States (see

map). Through the activities outlined above, the project

hopes to provide low-skilled fathers with the skills and support they need to meet the financial, developmental, and

emotional needs of their children.

For more information, contact Dr. Jeffrey M. Johnson,

President and CEO of the National Center for Strategic

Nonprofit Planning and Community Leadership (NPCL),

at T: 888-528-6725.

Strengthening Families

Demonstration Cities for the 

Fragile Families Project
12 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

The Forgotten Parent

By James May

I

am writing as a husband and the father

of a grown daughter; an educator; a mental health counselor; the coordinator of

the only federal program to fully focus on

fathers of children with special health care

needs; and a health care consumer. I want to

talk to you about fathers. In my capacity as

the project director for the National Fathers

Network, the men I have met have forever

changed my life.

Kyle Pruett, in his landmark book The

Nurturing Father, declares that fathering is “the

singly most creative, complicated, fulfilling, frustrating, engrossing, enriching, depleting endeavor of a man’s adult life.” It is an undertaking

now considered vital—indeed essential—to

family health and well being.Yet even Webster’s

dictionary defines nurturing as “feminine, ladylike, female, gentle, tender, womanly.” It’s as if

men are not even capable of such caring,empathetic responses. Much of this is residue from

the old belief that as men we’re only to do the

three P’s: provide, protect, and procreate (and

barbecue on the side).

The process of redefining oneself takes

on new meaning when one’s child is chronically ill or disabled. Men quickly learn they

can neither protect their families from the

problems nor control the outcomes; there is

no quick fix.

The extensive stresses in a family with

a child with special needs—emotional, financial, vocational, and educational—can leave a

father depressed, helpless, powerless...and

very, very angry.The dreams a man brings to

his life—lineage, ego fulfillment, athletic, and

vocational achievement—are threatened.

Most fathers also experience feelings

of failure and guilt. They experience isolation, since there are typically fewer social

supports in place for men than women.

Their disabled child’s physical appearance

and lack of developmental appropriateness

may embarrass many men. Bonding and

communicating with one’s child may be a

painful task.

Feelings of isolation are magnified by a

care delivery system that too often excludes,

disregards, and disenfranchises men.“It’s as if

I don’t exist when the doctors talk about our

child,” declared the father of a nine-year-old

with cystic fibrosis. Because health services

are offered during the day when many men

are working, mothers—even though they

may also work during the day—generally

become the resident “experts.”

Families and professionals now have

the chance to build new bridges, to dramatically construct a vision that gives fathers of

children with special needs recognition,

understanding, and most importantly, substantive programs that speak to dads’ unique

concerns.

The positive results of father involvement are endless. Research tells us family

communication is enhanced. There is

reduced depression and fatigue, improved

sharing of parental responsibilities, and

increased acceptance of the child. New

avenues are opened for fathers to discover

the important role they play in the lives of

their children. Literally thousands of men

have commented to me that they are less

competitive,more patient,more receptive to

and understanding of people’s differences,

and more willing to live in the moment than

in the future. Such are the lessons of being

the dad of a child with special needs.

Ian and Nicky John of

Houston, TX

James May is president of

the National Fathers

Network (NFN). For more

information, contact NFN’s

website at www.fathersnetwork.org, or email him at

jmay@fathersnetwork.org.
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 13

Family Involvement

The Dad Show: Radio for Dads and Anyone

Who Ever Had One

I

n Austin,Texas, Child Inc. is doing something a little different to open up the discussion on father involvement. Last year

it initiated The Dad Show, a one-hour weekly

call-in talk show designed to focus attention

on fathers and encourage them to focus on

their families. This show enables Travis

County Head Start and other community

service programs to reach a larger portion of

the community than by any other means. The

Dad Show has a wide audience that includes

men and women; even children get interested in topics the show covers.

A variety of listeners are attracted to

the show because of its focus on real-life

issues. A program on discipline, for instance,

appealed to many people. Many parents had

questions about appropriate discipline techniques, and the issue of spanking raised a

heated debate. The show’s most popular

topic has been child support and custody, but

even shows that feature financial advisors

make the phones light up with callers.

Each week The Dad Show chooses a

topic to discuss based on the Head Start

Program Performance Standards and general

interest. Topics have included such issues as

health and nutrition, and reading with your

kids. Recently, The Dad Show featured toys

as a topic. Two child psychologists, a Head

Start father, and a local toy store owner discussed ways to facilitate parent-child interactions with toys. In this way, Child Inc. has

extended its application of the Program

Performance Standards to the broader community, reaching many people in a way that is

both non-threatening and accessible.

Bill Crawford, host of The Dad Show,

believes that a large part of its appeal is its

focus on practical issues that most families

face daily. “The best thing about The Dad

Show,” he commented, “is that we get

tremendous response from our listeners.

Listeners call because we don’t have any

political or social agenda. We admit the

truth: there is no such thing as an expert

dad. No one has all the answers. Everyone

has something to contribute to the conversation.”

Though The Dad Show generally features only local celebrities, from time to time

a nationally familiar face will arrive to discuss

the perils and rewards of fatherhood. In fact,

former President George Bush was interviewed on the very first show. “I believe the

decline of the American family is one of the

most serious problems this country has,”

President Bush stated. “I think what you’re

doing makes a wonderful contribution and

is very, very important.”

Don’t worry if you can’t get the show

on your local radio. The Dad Show is now

reaching out to dads through a new website,

and previous broadcasts can be heard all

over the world on RealAudio at www.dadshow.com.

For more information, contact Rae

Freeman, producer of The Dad Show, at 

T: 512-451-7361; E: dadshow@childinc.org.

Fathers participate

as panelists on

The Dad Show
14 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

I was 19 when I became pregnant, and I

did everything I could to prepare for

what would become the single most

important moment in my life. The birth of my

son thrust me into baby bliss, but the bliss

was all too short. I soon found out that I was

not only a mother, but the mother of a seriously ill child.

When John was five weeks old, he was

rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital where

we learned that he has a life-threatening liver

disease. I was crushed, and nothing could

have prepared me for what I was about to

face.

Once we came home I began the process of evaluating John for the special services he needed to help with his

development. At a year old, John still only

weighed 13 pounds. Our weeks became filled

with appointments, and John’s wellness now

consumed my life. It was obvious that I

would be unable to return to work because

of John’s needs. I soon realized that, along

with receiving Medicaid, I had to face the

reality of becoming a single welfare mom.

Client ID numbers, medical cards, and

food stamps soon became our way of life.

Luckily, there were programs in place to

assist my son and me. For the first few years,

John participated in the Early Intervention

Birth-to-Three program in New London

County; with their help, his development skyrocketed. When John was three, we were

referred to the Thames Valley Council for

Community Action (TVCCA) Head Start

Program.

I was thrilled to learn that Head Start

focuses on both the parent and the child,

recognizing the pivotal role that family plays

in the growth and development of the child.

John did well in Head Start, and I quickly

became actively involved in the program.

The support of Head Start staff was invaluable. Within the first six months, I had

returned to school, taken my high school

equivalency test, and received my

GED. I began attending parent committee meetings, socializing with

other parents, and attending parenting classes. During the next school

year I began to volunteer extensively for the program. Also, I served on

the Head Start Policy Council, the

Head Start center committee, and

my community action agency’s

board of directors.

This was a very empowering

time in my life. I began attending

conferences and was elected to

serve as my program’s representative to the Connecticut Head Start

Association. I later became Parent

Chairperson of the association and was

elected to represent Connecticut parents on

the New England Head Start Association

board. I now serve as a Region I representative to the NHSA Board of Directors.

In the fall of 1995, I enrolled in an

assessment of prior learning class at my local

community college. I earned 39 credits

towards my degree in one semester, because

of the credit I received for my volunteer

experience within Head Start. I graduated

from college in 1997 and was honored as the

outstanding student of my class. It was one

of the proudest moments of my life.

Now, years later, I have left the welfare

rolls behind and truly lifted my family and

myself up by our bootstraps. In December

1998, I became totally self-sufficient when I

received a full-time contract to work with

the Connecticut Department of Social

Services as a Parent Involvement Specialist.

Head Start has provided me with many

mentors, role models, and people who have

had faith in my potential. Head Start has

made me who I am today, and has truly

become my family’s foundation. It has given

me in a few short years what I never could

have imagined.

My Head Start Story

Lisa Sullivan

Lisa Sullivan with

her son John
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 15

Family Involvement

W hen I first started working for

Adams-Brown Head Start in 1994,

as a provider in my home, I considered myself a nobody! I had no self-esteem,

no future plans, and I had a handicap—no

driver’s license! Whenever things would get

tough I felt like a turtle and would want to

hide in my shell and not face the world. But

now, in 1997, I have self-esteem, I have a

future. I not only have a driver’s license, but 

I have my commercial driver’s

license and I

know I am somebody!

In 1994,

the position of

Head Start Day

Care provider

became available

to me. At first, I

thought I can’t

do this; I’m not

smart enough,

and it will be another part of my life I will fail

at. With the support and encouragement of

my supervisor, I did it! I was finally accomplishing something in my life! As the year

went on, she kept encouraging me to try for

my driver’s license. Again, I felt like I would

fail and people would look at me as a nobody

who couldn’t do anything. But, with her

encouraging words, “You can do it, just

believe in yourself,” I decided to go for it. I

did it! I got my driver’s license and even went

on to get my CDL. Boy, was my self-esteem

starting to boost. For once in my life I started to feel like I was a somebody and could

accomplish goals that I set for myself. Today,

I am working at the Adams-Brown Head

Start program as a Bus Driver/Family

Advocate. I really enjoy working with parents and encouraging them to believe in

themselves, and set goals for the future so

that they too know that they are somebody!

Without my Head Start family I would

not be where I am today! They have taught

me how to believe in myself and that I can

succeed in anything I set out to do. I am

currently taking college courses to get a

degree in early childhood education. I

would like to someday become a lead teacher for Head Start so that I too can make a

difference in someone’s life as Head Start

has made in mine!

I want to thank everyone at Head Start

for helping me build my self-esteem and

showing me how to believe in myself.

Whenever the days do get tough and I want

to be that turtle once again, I know without

a doubt that my Head Start family is always

there with a smile, hug, or a note of encouragement to keep me trying for bigger and

better accomplishments.

This story first appeared in the Ohio Head

Start Association, Inc.’s March-April 1998

newsletter.

Joy Baldridge at the

Adams Brown Head Start

Head Start’s Impact on My Life

Joy Baldridge
16 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

“I was in the first class—and it

worked!”

These are the words of Frank Olguin,

Region VIII Head Start Program Specialist.

Frank is a graduate of the very first Head

Start class, held during the summer of 1965.

His classroom was in a modular unit on the

grounds of the Eugene Field Elementary

School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Frank

and his family lived right across the street

from the school, and every day Frank’s mother—who had 13 children—walked him to

and from school.

Frank didn’t specifically recall that he

was a Head Start graduate until a few years

ago, when he was home visiting his mother. It

was then that she gave him the framed graduation certificate signed by Lady Bird Johnson

and Sergeant Shriver and told him how Head

Start changed the lives of his family.

Mrs. Olguin remembers Frank’s Head

Start experience very well. Although his

older siblings went to the same school, his

mother had never spent time in the building

before. It was the Head Start teacher who

made her feel welcome there. She opened

Mrs. Olguin’s eyes to the value of education,

telling her that education can open doors for

anyone. Mrs. Olguin decided that helping her

children gain an education was a way to help

them succeed.

Frank earned a bachelor’s degree in

accounting from Highlands University in

New Mexico and recently earned his master’s degree from the Graduate School of

Public Affairs at the University of Colorado in

Denver.

Frank has worked for the Federal government since graduating from college. The

more he learned about Head

Start, the more he wanted to

be a Program Specialist. When

the opportunity opened up at

the Regional Office, he quickly

applied. Frank appreciates the

value of Head Start and tries

very hard to get his programs

everything they need, including

funds, in order for them to

provide quality services to

children and families. Frank

knows that the people who

work in Head Start can make a

difference—-they did for him.

Head Start isn’t just a job—it’s

a close community of people

who care.

Frank is also a new parent and he

applies his Head Start knowledge regarding

early childhood development and early

brain development to his daughter. “For

example,” Fred says, “ever since Francisca

was born, my spouse and I have read to her

daily, including when I read the newspaper.” 

Last year, Frank met Representative

Loretta Sanchez at a Woman’s Conference

in Denver. In her speech she mentioned

being a Head Start graduate, and Frank

spoke to her afterwards. She signed his

program, “To Frank, my fellow Head Start

Graduate. Sigue Adelante! Con cariño,

Loretta Sanchez.”

This story first appeared in 

the March 1998 issue of the Community

Development Institute newsletter.

Frank Olguin holds his

Head Start and college

diplomas

Back in Head Start

Frank Olguin
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 17

Family Involvement

Child Support Enforcement, Child Care,

and Head Start Collaboration Grants

Awarded to Six States

By John P. Doyle

Under welfare reform, child support services are emerging as akey resource to self-sufficiency

for many child care and Head Start

families.

Six states are in the second year of

implementing demonstration grants to develop models of collaboration among Child

Support Enforcement, Child Care, and Head

Start programs at state and local levels.The

three-year grants were awarded in 1997 to

State Child Support Enforcement agencies

which, in turn, formed teams with Child Care

and Head Start staff to develop state-specific

collaboration activities to be implemented in

local child support, child care, and Head Start

programs. These collaborative efforts promote and facilitate access to child support

services through local child care and Head

Start programs; they also further a broader

understanding of child support and parenting

issues within the three programs.

The six states awarded the demonstration grants and the contact person for each

state are shown on the right.

For more information, contact John Doyle,

Office of Child Support Enforcement,

Administration for Children and Families,

T: 202-205-4590, E: jdoyle@acf.dhhs.gov

Alaska

Shirley Dean, Project Manager

907-465-5182

Connecticut

Babette Mantilla, Project Coordinator

860-247-6090

Illinois

Lois Rakov, Project Manager

312-793-8213

Maryland

Claudette Sullivan, Project Manager

410-767-7311

Minnesota

Mamie Wertz, Project Coordinator

612-296-2567

Missouri

Clayton Wesley, Project Manager

314-877-2069

Zaakira Shadeed and her dad

(Child, Inc.in Austin, TX)
18 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Linking Head Start Quality to Child Outcomes:

The FACES Study Louisa B.Tarullo and Henry M. Doan

RESEARCH

The Head Start Family and Child

Experiences Survey (FACES) is a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs,

classrooms, teachers, parents, and children.

Its purpose is to examine the overall quality

and outcomes of Head Start using specific

Program Performance Measures. Through

FACES, for the first time,the Head Start program will have national outcome data including observed quality of classrooms, direct

assessment and observation of children, and

both parent and teacher reports on child

functioning over the program year.

Head Start’s ultimate goal is to

promote the social competence of children, defined as the child’s everyday

effectiveness in dealing with the

present environment and later

responsibilities in school and

life. Helping a child to be

ready for school means

considering the whole

child, including such

factors as cognitive, emotional,

and social

d e v elop -

ment;

physical and mental health; and nutritional

needs. Does the five-year-old child coming to

the end of the preschool period demonstrate the skills, understandings, and behaviors that will help ensure successful

functioning in the school environment?

FACES will help to answer this question for

Head Start graduates.

Based on the goal of promoting social

competence, the Performance Measures are

indicators that chart the Head Start program’s progress in meeting the following five

objectives (illustrated in Figure 1):

• Enhancing children’s healthy growth and

development

• Strengthening families as the primary 

nurturers of their children

• Providing children with educational,

health and nutritional services

• Linking children and families to needed 

community services

• Ensuring well-managed programs that 

involve parents in decision-making.

There is a strong connection between

the delivery of quality services (process measures) and improvements in child development (outcome measures). Each Program

Performance Measure has performance indicators that show how well we are reaching

that goal. For example, one outcome-oriented

measure for the objective “Enhancing children’s healthy growth and development” is:

“Head Start children demonstrate improved

emergent literacy, numeracy, and language

skills.” A more process-oriented measure is:

“Head Start ensures that children receive

needed medical, dental, and mental health services.” Data will be drawn from both agencylevel sources such as the Program Information

Report (PIR)—a program-level reporting system completed by each Head Start program

annually—and the Head Start FACES study.

In the spring of 1997, FACES studied

2,400 children and families in 40 programs

nationwide in a variety of child development

areas, including: emergent literacy, numeracy,

and language skills; general cognitive skills;

gross and fine motor skills, positive attitudes

towards learning; social behavior and emotional well-being; and physical health.

The measurements were obtained

using direct child assessment, observation,

and both parent and teacher report. In addition, parents were interviewed about their

life experiences and involvement and satisfaction with Head Start. Classrooms were

assessed on scheduling, the early childhood

learning environment, and teacher behavior.

(See “FACES: Early Findings.”)

FACES has continued with Fall 1997 and

Spring 1998 data collections on a nationally

representative sample of 3,200 children and

families in the same 40 programs.Children and

parents are studied at entry into Head Start,

Processes

OutcomesCHILD’S

SOCIAL

COMPETENCE

ENSURE

well-managed programs that involve parents in decision making

1.

ENHANCE

children’s

growth and

development

2.

STRENGTHEN

families as the

primary nurturers

of their children

PROVIDE

children with

educational, health

and nutritional

services

LINK

children and

families to needed

community

services

Figure 1.

Head Start Program

Performance Measures

Conceptual Framework
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 19

Family Involvement

RESEARCH

completion of the program (whether one or

two years), and after a year of kindergarten.

Research has consistently linked aspects

of classroom quality such as low child-adult

ratio, small group size, responsiveness of

teacher-child interaction, and richness of

learning environments to better child outcomes. For the first time using a national sample, FACES tests the same linkages in Head

Start. Preliminary data show that the higher

the quality of a Head Start classroom, the

more likely that children will show higher levels of skills and,over time, display greater gains

in developmental outcomes. FACES will also

provide information on what aspects of the

Head Start classroom experience could be

improved in order to enhance children’s readiness to take on new challenges in school.

Results of the FACES study are available

through the Head Start Publications

Management Center (HSPMC). For a copy of

the Head Start Performance Measures Second

Progress Report, including data from the Spring

1997 FACES pilot,see the Head Start Bureau

web page at www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb,

the CORE web page at www.acf.

dhhs.gov/programs/rde, or order from 

the HSPMC by fax 703-683-5769 or 

E-mail: hspmc6@mail.idt.net.

Louisa B.Tarullo and Henry M.Doan are

Research Analysts in the Commissioner’s

Office of Research and Evaluation

(CORE), Administration on Children,

Youth and Families (ACYF), U.S.Department of Health and Human Services.

The FACES study is conducted by a team

of researchers including Nicholas Zill and

Gary Resnick from Westat, Inc.; David

Connell and Janet Swartz from Abt

Associates;Ruth Hubbell McKey and

Cheryl Clark from Ellsworth Associates;

and Robert O’Brien and Mary Ann D’Elio

from The CDM Group, Inc.

FACES: Early Findings

The findings from the FACES research are encouraging: the quality in

most Head Start classrooms is good (no classrooms score in the poor

range) and, perhaps most important, program quality is related to children’s outcomes.

Head Start Classroom Quality is Good

• Trained observers of 403 classrooms using the Early Childhood

Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) found that average quality is in the “good”

range.

• No Head Start classrooms score below the “minimal quality” rating, unlike

other large studies of center-based preschools.

• Head Start class size and child-to-adult ratios meet or exceed standards.

• More than 68 percent of Head Start lead teachers report some college

experience or a college degree.

Head Start Children Are Ready for School

• The typical four-year-old completing Head Start has knowledge and skills in

early literacy and numeracy, as well as social skills signifying readiness to

learn in kindergarten.

• Head Start four-year-olds perform above the levels expected for children

from low-income families who have not attended center-based programs.

Program Quality is Linked to Child Performance

• Children score higher on early literacy measures when they experience

richer teacher-child interaction, more language learning opportunities, and a

classroom well equipped with learning resources.

• Children who attend two years of Head Start perform better than children

who attend only one year.

Head Start Families Are Involved Despite Challenges

• Head Start parents are almost equally likely to be married as single,

typically have two or three children, and most have at least a high school

diploma or GED.

• Most households have at least one family member employed, but a majority

receive some form of public assistance, such as food stamps, welfare, or

Medicaid.

• Almost a quarter of Head Start parents speak a primary language other

than English.

• A significant minority of Head Start families are facing major challenges,

such as lacking employment, living in extreme poverty, or experiencing crime,

frequent moves or homelessness.

• Head Start parents are involved with their children at home and in the

program; 66 percent read to their child three or more times a week; 70 to

90 percent teach letters, numbers, or songs; and more than 90 percent

involve their children in chores or errands, play with them, and talk with

them about Head Start.

• Most Head Start parents participate at least once in a Head Start activity

during the year, despite work, school, child care, and transportation barriers.

• Parents less likely to participate include single parents, parents who have

not graduated from high school, and employed parents, but participation is

equal across English-speaking and non-English-speaking families.

• Almost 90 percent of parents are very satisfied with Head Start’s program

services, safety, and promotion of child growth and development.
20 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project

Helen H. Raikes and Louisa B.Tarullo

RESEARCH

The Early Head Start Research and

Evaluation Project is an intensive study

of Early Head Start (EHS) programs

for infants and toddlers in low-income families. The study includes approximately 3,000

families living in 17 diverse communities that

reflect the current socioeconomic and political context of low-income families. A broad

range of outcomes is being measured, extensive information is being collected about the

programs and individual families’ experiences

with them, and state-of-the-art analyses are

being conducted to link experiences with

outcomes. The research is being conducted

by Mathematica Policy Research in Princeton,

NJ, and Columbia University in collaboration

with researchers in 15 universities.

The EHS Research and Evaluation

Project encompasses five major components:

1. An implementation study to examine

service needs and use for low-income

families with infants and toddlers, assess

program implementation, understand

programs’ theories of change, illuminate

pathways to achieving quality, examine

program contributions to community

change, and identify and explore

variations across sites.

2. An impact evaluation to analyze the

effects of Early Head Start programs on

children, parents, and families in depth,

using an experimental design; descriptive

analyses will assess outcomes for

program staff and communities.

3. Local research studies by local

researchers to learn more about the

pathways to desired outcomes for

infants and toddlers, parents and

families, staff, and communities.

4. Policy studies to respond to information

needs in areas of emerging policyrelevant issues, including welfare

reform, fatherhood, child care, and

children with disabilities.

5. Formats for continuous program

improvement to guide all EHS programs

in formative evaluation.

Unique Elements of the Early

Head Start Research Project

Consideration of the differences

among EHS programs when looking at

outcomes. EHS program approaches vary

in important ways. For example, some programs deliver child development services

through child care, and others use a home

visitation approach.These different approaches are appropriate for different programs

that have individual community needs, populations, and geography. Early intervention literature suggests that these differences

among programs will result in differences in

the type and timing of outcomes. Outcomes

will also probably be different among programs that emphasize different things. The

EHS studies will take all of these variables

into consideration when assessing how a

program is having an impact on a family and

a community.

Use of the Program Performance

Standards as a basis for rating all participating programs. A panel of experts

will review the information gathered from

the implementation research and rate each

program based on the Standards. This systematic assessment makes it possible to

determine whether an EHS program is being

implemented in each site the way it was

designed.

Assessment of the quality and quantity

of key services for children in both EHS

and comparison groups. Previous evaluations have not examined in detail the effects

of different configurations of child development services available on children.

Analysis of outcomes by actual program

participation. When the project looks at

how effective a program has been with a family, the study takes that family’s participation

into consideration.EHS research is listening to

program directors who state that they do not

expect programs to help families who drop
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 21

Family Involvement

out. After the effects on families have

been assessed,the project will adjust the

results based on different levels of participation in a program.

Use of the same research team to

evaluate programs. Often, two

research teams evaluate programs,

making it difficult for researchers to

interpret how a particular program is

affecting children and families. When

one research team evaluates a program

it is easier to analyze a program's

impact in relation to its implementation.

Local researchers. They will often

have a unique picture of the local program and community, and this knowledge will add to interpretations of the

data. Data from local studies will supplement national data.

The Father Studies

Early Head Start (EHS) does more to

promote father involvement than has

typically been done in other early intervention programs for infants and toddlers. EHS programs work directly with

fathers and father-figures through such

activities as including fathers in home visits; implementing father outreach efforts;

providing opportunities for direct fatherchild interactions; targeting increased

male participation in the program; and

adding support groups for couples.

The Early Head Start (EHS)

Research and Evaluation project is

among the first to explore the involvement of low-income fathers in children’s lives, together with mother

involvement, in the context of both an

intervention program for infants and

toddlers and a longitudinal study. The

Father Studies help to fill a significant

gap in knowledge by increasing our

understanding of how fathers and

mothers, in the context of the family,

influence infant and toddler development.The EHS father research enables

us to learn more about how programs

support fathers’ relationships with their

babies and with the babies’ mothers.

The Father Studies represent a

coordinated effort of many different

agencies.They include the EHS Research

Consortium; the Administration on

Children,Youth and Families (ACYF); the

Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); the

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development (NICHD); and the

Ford Foundation.Together, they work in

the spirit of the Fatherhood Initiative

started by President Clinton in 1995.

The Father Studies involve four strands:

Interviews with fathers of 24- and

36-month-old children. These interviews in 14 sites examine how fathers

influence child and family outcomes.

The study also investigates how services influence father involvement, what

aspects of programs are effective in getting fathers to participate, and how

aspects of a father's life contribute to

his involvement in and enjoyment of

fathering. In five sites, videotaped

observations will provide critical information about father-child interactions.

Study of Fathers of Newborns.This

strand, supported by the Ford

Foundation, follows 200 to 300 fathers

and mothers of newborns. They are

interviewed when their children are 1,

3, 6, 14, 24, and 36 months of age to

provide an in-depth look at the changing nature of fatherhood and father

involvement in children's lives from

birth until age 3.

The Practitioner's Study. This

strand, also funded by the Ford

Foundation, focuses on understanding

the different strategies EHS programs

use to get fathers involved, and how

these strategies serve fathers' needs,

their successes and challenges, and how

they have changed over time. This

strand also looks at how a father's relationship with his child is influenced by

an EHS program.

Local Research Studies.These studies are looking at a variety of issues,

with each research team focusing on a

unique topic. At Michigan State

University, for example,researchers are

studying the unique contributions of

biological fathers; at Utah State

University, they're investigating fathers'

modes of play with infants and toddlers.

Early findings of the EHS Father

Studies are summarized in the box on

the next page. Additional preliminary

reports from the EHS Father Studies

will be prepared periodically over the

next four years, with public use data

sets scheduled for release in 2002. For

further information, see web-sites at:

Helen H.Raikes was a Society for Research in

Child Development (SRCD) Fellow at ACYF

from 1994–96. She is currently at the Gallup

Organization, Lincoln, NE, and continues her

affiliation with the EHS Research and

Evaluation Project.

Louisa B.Tarullo is a Research Analyst in the

Commissioner’s Office of Research and

Evaluation, Administration on Children,Youth

and Families (ACYF), U.S.Department of

Health and Human Services.E:

lbtarullo@acf.dhhs.gov.

Project director and co-principal investigator

for the EHS National Research and

Evaluation Study is John Love, Mathematica

Policy Research, Inc. Ellen Kisker,

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and

Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University,

are co-principle investigators.The EHS Father

Studies Work Group, consisting of EHS national and local researchers and representatives

from ACYF, NICHD, ASPE, and the Ford

Foundation, carries out Father Studies.Raikes

and Tarullo provide oversight of the national

research, and Esther Kresh, Head Start

Bureau, is the Project Officer.

• www.mathematica-mpr.com 

• www.acf.dhhs/programs/hsb 

• www.acf.dhhs/programs/rde
22 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Early Findings of the Father Studies 

• Father involvement was identified as a focus for all Early

Head Start programs in the survey of 17 research programs.

All the programs reported that they are taking specific steps

to involve fathers.The programs have hired men in various

staffing capacities, and a majority of the programs have designated a staff member whose responsibility is to promote

father involvement.

• Programs employ a variety of strategies for involving

fathers.They report the greatest success in including fathers

with activities that focus on parenting or include the children. They report fathers are moderately likely to participate in Policy Councils or advisory boards, attend

recreational activities for men and children, and attend

men’s meetings about employment.

• Programs are making adjustments as they identify effective

strategies and challenges. Some of these adjustments

include: developing men’s support groups; developing a

Male Involvement Plan; using language in program materials that addresses both parents; becoming intentional

about using male staff and husbands of staff as role models; developing a survey for fathers; changing the schedule

of activities to be more convenient to working fathers;

changing mailing lists to include fathers; including fathers in

home visits; making a conscious effort to involve fathers in

all areas of the program; involving fathers at the time of

recruitment and enrollment; having male staff actively

involved in recruitment; enabling staff to conduct home

visits in teams of two, when appropriate; using more than

one staff person to work with the family when the father

and mother are separated or are in conflict; and changing

the program model from one focused on the mother-child

relationship to one that is family-focused.

• Programs have identified challenges that future research will

help them to address. These challenges include a mothercentric program image; fathers who live outside of the

home; changing father figures in a child’s life; mothers and

fathers in conflict with one another; mothers who do not

want the father to be involved in the child’s life; time for

working with the family to be inclusive of fathers when the

mother plays a "gatekeeping" role for the father’s involvement; and staff fears related to working with men who had

been incarcerated or were known to be involved in domestic violence or substance abuse.

• From focus groups with involved fathers at four sites,

researchers report that many fathers are highly committed

and very much want to be involved with their children.

Interviewers were struck by the strength of the fathers’

determination to “be there” for their children and to assume

financial responsibility for their children. Fathers and mothers

differed somewhat in their perceptions of what fathers

should be doing for their children. Many mothers believed

that fathers should take a more active role in physical caregiving, such as diapering, feeding, and bathing, while fathers

perceived they were already doing these things. Fathers

described rough-and-tumble physical play or cuddling and

tickling as their primary forms of play with their young children. Fathers expressed greatest frustration in dealing with ill

or crying children.

• Except for the EHS program, many of the fathers lacked a

support system and role models, but were also reluctant to

accept help. Fathers had many aspirations for their children

but few concrete and positive ideas for helping them meet

those goals. Some fathers expressed a sense of betrayal by

the educational and social service systems. Fathers were

reluctant to consider barriers or “downsides” to being a

father. With the exception of those fathers who were

already actively involved in some part of an EHS program,

most fathers were unable to identify sources of support for

their role as father.

The “10/60” Rule

On many occasions, we all meet people

who ask what we do for a living. Many

of them might be potential donors or

volunteers. Being prepared for these

unexpected moments can bring unexpected rewards.

Rather than stumbling through an

explanation when you're caught offguard, the "10/60" rule provides a

short, organized way to describe ten 

things about your Head Start program

in 60 seconds.

Practice a 60-second response that

includes these ten pieces of information:

• Name of your program

• Years in existence

• Mission

• Number of children and families 

served last year

• Services provided

• Community served

• Sources of funding

• Current needs

• Number of staff members

• Number of governing body and 

policy group members

With this information at your fingertips,

you’ll be able to respond well to questions and help to spread the good word

about Head Start in your community!
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 23

Family Involvement

1998–99 National Head Start Fellows

By Kathy Hallissey

Each year ten leaders in the field of early

childhood education are chosen to

come to Washington, D.C., to share

their skills and learn new ones. The

1998–99 Head Start Fellows represent

a wide variety of talent and experience

in areas of program development,

research, health, policy, and child and

family development. In addition to

working with the Head Start Bureau,

Fellows have been placed in such government agencies as the Department of

Education, the Child Care Bureau, and

the Commissioner's Office at the

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families.

Following is a brief description of the

1998–99 Fellows and their placement in

various federal agencies promoting the

health and well-being of children across

the country.

Gina Barclay-McLaughlin—Gina is

from the University of Chicago in

Chicago, Illinois, where she works as a

Senior Research Associate. She is spending her fellowship year with the Office

of the Commissioner in the

Administration on Children, Youth and

Families, where she is focusing on

research and evaluation.

Amanda Bryans—Amanda is from

East Nassau, New York, where she

works with Albany County

Opportunity, Inc. and is responsible for

a program that serves nearly 400 children. She is now working in the

Program Management and Operations

Branch of the Head Start Bureau, focusing on monitoring and national training

for new directors.

Alisa Burton—Alisa, a family advocate

from Oakland Head Start in Albany,

California, has a split placement. She

spends time in the Bureau on Maternal

and Child Health focusing on health and

safety issues in child care, in addition to

working with the Heath and Disabilities

branch of the Head Start Bureau on disabilities training and technical assistance.

Joyce Brown McCorvey—Joyce

works as the director of federal and prekindergarten programs for the Santa

Rosa County Public Schools in her home

town of Milton, Florida. During her fellowship, she is working with the

Department of Education focusing on

the America Reads Campaign and collaboration with other agencies.

Lynn Mitchell—Lynn, from the

Governor’s Office in Bethesda,Maryland,

also has a split placement. Part of her

Fellowship year is being spent in the

Administration for Children and Families'

Office of Family Assistance, helping support TANF implementation. She is also

working with the Child Care Bureau.

Kelly Packer—Kelly is president and

chief executive officer of Packer &

Associates in Albuquerque, New

Mexico.While in Washington she is sharing her time between the Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Administration, supporting the Starting Early,

Starting Smart project, and the Head

Start Bureau.

Lucia Palacios—Lucia, the area director of an Early Head Start program in

Bonita, California, is in the Program

Support Division of the Head Start

Bureau where she is focusing on Early

Head Start.

Barbara Saunders—Barbara works

as a parent involvement coordinator

with the Lee County District Early

Intervention Program in Ft. Myers,

Florida. While in Washington, she is

working with the Child Care Bureau on

supporting the Regional Offices, in addition to other special initiatives.

Dolores Terrazas—Dolores has traveled across the country from San

Francisco, California, where she works

for the California Child Care Initiative,

to spend her fellowship year working

with the Migrant Programs Branch and

the State Collaboration Offices in the

Head Start Bureau.

Ida Tewa—Ida is from the Eight

Northern Indian Pueblos Council in San

Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. She is working

with the American Indian Programs

Branch of the Head Start Bureau focusing

on child care partnerships and facilities.

For more information on the

National Head Start Fellowship 

program, contact Kathy Hallissey 

at T: 202-205-8420,

E: khallissey@acf.dhhs.gov
24 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

Our Stories Keep Us Connected

The Our Stories Keep Us Connected package

includes a parent guide and video to help parents and teachers understand children better

through the stories they tell. Children hear

stories every day, and through these stories

they learn to make sense of the world. Our

Stories Keep Us Connected builds on the

premise that “learning is building new ideas

from stories we live, see, and hear all around

us.” Through listening to these stories,parents

and teachers can build a stronger relationship

with their children and gain a new appreciation for how and what they learn. The guide

can be used by staff and parents together,

groups of parents, or by parents alone with

their children. It is available in English and

Spanish.

For a free copy for Head Start grantees,

fax your request to the Head Start

Publications Management Center at 

703-683-5769.

Linking Our Voices

If you’ve ever wondered how to get parents

involved in program governance, you should

take a look at the new Linking Our Voices training package. LOV, as it is affectionately known,

is a video-based training package from the

Head Start Bureau that is designed to help

the entire Head Start community understand

the value of parent involvement in program

governance. It also helps in making the transition to the revised Program Performance

Standards.

Each part of the LOV training is designed to

help programs make family and community

partnerships a reality. The package, available

in English and Spanish, contains a 22-minute

training video and a facilitator’s manual for

four workshops, with detailed instructions.

The workshops are:

Music to My Ears. The first workshop in

the package provides a step-by-step way of

understanding and appreciating the benefits

of parent involvement in program governance. Participants examine benefits of partnerships to the parent, the parent’s family, to

the program, and to the community at large.

Having a Voice. This session describes the

various levels of parent participation in program governance, from the Parent

Committee to the Policy Committee and/or

the Policy Council. Each level empowers parents to share in the processes of making

decisions about their program.

Three-Part Harmony. The third workshop in the series focuses on shared decision

making. Activities provide excellent experiThe Head Start

Publications Management

Center (HSPMC) has wide

variety of publications and

resources available. For a

current catalogue, or to

place an order, contact the

HSPMC by fax at 703-683-

5769 or by E-mail at puborder@hskids-tmsc.org

Head Start Resources

RESOURCES
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 25

Family Involvement

RESOURCES

mental opportunities for staff, parents, and

governing body members.

Theme Songs. This is an innovative training module where participants identify the

concerns and issues that will focus their

involvement for the year. The workshop

takes them through the processes of selecting issues and then campaigning for their

support by the larger body of parents.

Special training is available to local

programs on customizing and using the

LOV package as a year-long training

program. For additional information,

call Akil Rahim at 1-800-628-8442 or 

1-800-688-1675.

National Training Guides for the Head Start

Learning Community

Building on Success is designed for Head

Start staff working in partnership with parents on self-sufficiency goals. It focuses on

the skills needed to: develop a personal plan

for education and employment; create

career ladder opportunities for parents

within the Head Start program; and mobilize

community resources to support families.

Building Supportive Communities

focuses on the significance of strong relationships within both Head Start and the

broader community. It illustrates how positive relationships among staff, families, and

community organizations provide critical

support for Head Start children and families.

The skills needed to build and maintain

strong partnerships are also discussed.

Communicating with Parents addresses

the value of effective communications—

speaking and listening skills, as well as the ability to write clearly and concisely. Good

communication skills are especially useful in

building partnerships with parents and planning

communication strategies at the program level.

A Design for Family Support reinforces

Head Start's role as a family support program and defines the framework for supporting families.The concepts and principles

of supporting families are presented along

with the skills necessary to develop those

relationships that enhance family support.

Engaging Parents addresses the basics of

parent involvement. Information is provided

on adapting activities for individual parents,

identifying staff support of parent involvement,

and analyzing current parent involvement

practices. Creating a common vision for parent involvement is also discussed, along with

an outline of observation and listening skills

needed to identify how each staff person contributes to and supports parent involvement.

Family Partnerships: A Continuous

Process focuses on those skills of the family goal setting process that support family

growth: learning from significant life events,

identifying internal and external supports,

visioning, creating a family picture, setting

goals, developing and implementing a family

plan and providing follow-up.

Partners in Decision Making discusses

training for staff and parents on how to

work together as a team, respecting each

other’s unique contribution to the group

process and to the Head Start program.

Specifically, this guide focuses on creating a

climate for decision-making partnerships,

building trusting relationships among team

members, and decision-making strategies.

Supporting Families in Crisis provides

staff with a framework for understanding,

identifying, and responding to family crises.

The guide also provides staff with the opportunity to explore safety issues posed by crisis situations; to learn strategies for reducing

personal risk; and to learn strategies aimed

at preventing crises in vulnerable families.

Other Head Start

Resources

Looking at Life Curriculum: Session

Plans is an education program that focuses

on parents and promotes group support

during the learning process. It offers parents

opportunities to look at their lives from

COMING SOON!

Keep an eye out for

two new Training

Guides: Designing

Parenting Education

Programs and

Supporting Family

Learning

RESOURCES
26 Family Involvement 1999 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

RESOURCES

new perspectives and to share ideas and

support with other parents. The curriculum

contains four modules, with three sessions

in each module. The modules can be used

independently, or several modules can be

grouped together for a longer program.

Groups of 8 to 20 parents can explore a

wide range of topics using a variety of learning modes: discussion, brainstorming, reading, information sheets, role play, art

activities, children’s games and play, exercise,

and relaxation techniques.

Head Start Handbook of the Parent

Involvement Vision and Strategies is a

two-part manual to help programs implement the Head Start Vision for Parent

Involvement. Part I discusses each element

of the Head Start Vision for Parent Involvement and includes questions to help programs think through their own response to

the parent involvement mission. Part II presents a variety of strategies that Head Start

programs can use in carrying out the vision.

Action steps, activities, and tips for implementation are included. Programs are also

encouraged to develop their own strategies

for parent involvement.

Additional Resources

(not available through HSPMC)

Head Start: Helping Families Move

from Welfare to Work is a report of the

Children’s Defense Fund’s Child Care and

Development Division. It describes some of

the ways that Head Start programs across

the country are helping families cope with

the new welfare laws.The report cites “adult

education, computer training, pre-employment training, job shadowing and internships” as just a few of the opportunities that

Head Start is offering. In addition, the

report highlights Head Start’s emphasis on

collaboration as a means to provide services

to the community. For more information,

contact the Children’s Defense Fund at T:

202-628-8787 or visit its website at www.

childrensdefense.org.

New Visions for Parents

Zero to Three has developed a set of materials entitled New Visions for Parents for

parents (or staff who know of parents) who

are concerned about their child’s development.The materials include: (1) a letter for

parents about developmental assessment of

babies and very young children; (2) New

Visions: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding

Developmental Assessment;(3) Planning and

Preparing Your Child’s Developmental

Assessment; and (4) a list of terms frequently used in developmental assessment. For

more information, contact Zero to Three at

T: 202-638-1144.

A Training Manual for Developing

Family and Community Partnerships

with Head Start-Preschool Families

This manual guides Head Start staff through

the process of developing family and community partnerships. Specific steps, activities,

and follow-up exercises and questions are

provided. The manual also offers information

on how to assist a family in developing goals,

planning, and problem solving. Elements of

the manual include: “Developing a Family

Partnership Agreement,” “Linking Head

Start-Preschool Families to Resources,” and

“Using Collaboration and Advocacy in

Community Partnerships.” For more information, contact James Bush at T: 213-653-

8332, or write to him at 6399 Wilshire

Boulevard, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

The cost for the manual is $35 plus $6 shipping and handling.

RESOURCES
National Head Start Bulletin ■ Family Involvement 1999 27

Family Involvement

RESOURCES

The Safe Havens Training Project

This three-part, video-based series focuses

on community violence and takes a close

look at what our children are coping with in

their day-to-day lives. The impact that violence has on a child’s development is examined, along with what teachers, parents, and

community members can do to provide children with a sense of safety and security. In

addition to the videos, training resources

include materials for three workshops, an

outreach supplement for parents and community members, and resources. For more

information, contact Elizabeth Seamans, writer and producer of Safe Havens, at T:412-687-

2990; F: 412-687-1226 or write to Family

Communications, Inc. at 4802 Fifth Avenue,

Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The cost for the entire

kit is $175 plus $7.95 shipping and handling.

A Parent Mentor Training Guide

This guide is based on the work of the

Parent Partners mentoring program at

Project REACH in Newport, Rhode Island.

The program is based on the belief that the

way to help a child is to help a family and

offers guidance on developing a mentor program—training mentors from the community to partner with parents who are having

difficulty.The program draws on a community’s strengths and collective wisdom through

its parent-to-parent approach. For more

information, contact Ray D. Davis, Family

Service Director of Project REACH, at T:

401-848-2470; F: 401-842-0332; or write to

Project REACH at Newport Public Schools,

435 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840.

Empowering Families to

Move Out of Poverty

A part of the National Association of

Community Action Agencies’ Family

Development Series, this manual leads the

reader on an exploration of developmental

programming for low-income families. It

contains valuable guidance and information

related to welfare reform. The manual is

geared towards family development staff,

and offers them suggestions and tools for

working with low-income and at-risk families.The manual is $20 for members of the

National Association of Community Action

Agencies, and $35 for nonmembers. For

more information, contact Monica Brown at

T: 202-265-7546.

RESOURCES
Family Involvement 1998 ■ National Head Start Bulletin

Family Involvement

The purpose of the Bulletin is to serve the Head Start

community, and we want to hear from you! Send us

information on events and new initiatives you’ve been

involved in, and send us photographs! When you send

us photos, please be sure to include the following:

• The names of any people pictured

in the photo

• Signed forms from each person in the

photo giving us permission to print it

• Where the photo was taken

(or at what event)

• The name of your Head Start program

Please do not write in ink on the back of the photo—

it smears when you stack them and ruins the picture

underneath! Use a label or a pencil (and don’t press

too hard).

Because we keep these materials on file for use

both now and in the future, we would appreciate your

sending only those photos and materials that you do

not need returned. Send your questions, comments,

and contributions to:

Head Start Bulletin

330 C Street, S.W.

Washington, DC 20447

Put us on your mailing list!

We’d love to get copies of your newsletters, to keep in touch with what’s happening

in your programs and communities.

U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services

ACF/ACYF/HSB

Washington, DC 20201

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

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