EARLY HEAD START NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER
 
EARLY 

HEAD 

START 

NATIONAL 

RESOURCE 

CENTER
 

Transition Strategies: 

Continuity and Change

in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Early Head Start 

Program Strategies 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Head Start Bureau 
EARLY 

HEAD 

START 

NATIONAL 

RESOURCE 

CENTER
 

4 

Transition Strategies: 


Continuity and Change

in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Early Head Start Program Strategies 

This document was developed by the Early Head Start National 

Resource Center (EHS NRC) @ ZERO TO THREE in collaboration 

with the Head Start Bureau. The contents of this paper are not 

intended to be an interpretation of policy. 

Prepared for the Head Start Bureau, 


under contract #105-98-2055, 


by the Early Head Start National Resource Center @ZERO TO THREE.
 

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth, and Families 

Head Start Bureau 
E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Transition Strategies: 

Continuity and Change

in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Early Head Start Program Strategies 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Creating a Network of Support: The Transition Into and Out of Early Head Start 

When Does Transition Planning Begin? 

Does a Child in Early Head Start Automatically Qualify for Head Start? 

How Long Can a 3-Year-Old Child Stay in Early Head Start? 

Are Children Who Turn 3 After The Date Set to Determine Compulsory School Age 

Attendance Eligible For Preschool Head Start? 

What Are “Transition Classrooms”? 

Balancing Continuity and Change: Transitions Within an Early Head Start Program. 

Services to Pregnant Women 

Transitions to New Settings 

Staffing Changes 

Supporting Staff Members as They Support Families 

The Key to Continuity: The Family 

The Family Partnership Agreement Process 

Appendix A 

“Program Voices” Contact Information 

Appendix B 

Additional Resources 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

2 

Transition Strategies: 


Continuity and Change

in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Early Head Start Program Strategies 

Understanding the Effect of Transitions 

on Infants and Toddlers 

Tommy, 8 months old, is beginning his day in the Early Head Start center-based program. He cries and reaches for his father 

as he is placed in the arms of his Early Head Start teacher. 

Ruby, 20 months old, has a new home visitor coming to her house this week. She keeps asking for “ba ba,” her previous home 

visitor, Barbara. Her mom has told her that Barbara isn’t coming anymore, but she is worried that Ruby is going to be upset 

when the new home visitor shows up. 

Travis, 3 years old, is leaving the Early Head Start program and entering a Head Start classroom. He is looking forward to his 

new class but wants to know why Miss Shelly, his Early Head Start teacher, and his friends cannot come with him. 

I

n each of these scenarios, the children and their families are experiencing a transition. Transitions occur at many 

levels, big and small, obvious or subtle. The obvious transitions such as entering or leaving a program or changing 

from one program option to another necessarily require planning and preparation. Other transitions such as 

developmental changes or moving from one activity to another in the course of a day also require thoughtful 

attention, but they can be overlooked because we may not immediately identify them as transitions. Still, in all cases, transitions are about change, a 

passage from one experience, stage, or activity to another, and thus, all 

demand careful consideration. 

The issue of transitions, whether they are big or small, is a particularly sensitive one for infants and toddlers because of the developmental characteristics 

that are pronounced during this age period. Infants and toddlers have a limited framework for understanding change and fewer resources to deal with stress 

than older children or adults have. Thus, consistency and continuity play a 

particularly important role in helping children successfully manage transitions. 
We have Early Head Start, Head 

Start, and child care all working 

together as one child development 

program despite different funding sources. 

Memoranda of Understanding between the 

agencies spell out how we work together and we 

have systems for smooth transitions from one 

program to another. For example, children who 

have been in Early Head Start are prioritized 

on the waiting list for Head Start.— 

Mississippi Band of Choctaw EHS 

PROGRAM VOICES 

Young children are developing relationships with parents 

and teachers as well as learning to trust or distrust the 

world around them through predictable routines and 

experiences. They thrive on routines that teach them 

what to expect and how to make sense of their world. 

They are then able to turn their attention to mastering 

that world through their play and interactions with others—reaching out to grasp toys, learning how to roll 

across the floor to get to that shiny red ball, or pulling up 

to stand by mommy’s leg. If life experiences are particularly chaotic in the early years, children can become 

anxious, they can have difficulty learning to regulate 

their behavior and emotions, and their learning and 

development in all areas may be thwarted. 

A unique feature of Early Head Start is the opportunity 

to provide services to expectant families before the birth of 

their baby. This opportunity also presents a unique challenge because programs must plan for the infant’s transition into an appropriate program option after birth. Early Head 

Start programs are to consider how they will simultaneously provide services to pregnant women while ensuring that 

space will be available for the infants in the child development program option that best meets family needs. 

Children and families living in poverty are especially vulnerable because of the stressors that can be associated 

with poverty, for example unsteady employment, inconsistent health care, unstable housing arrangements, and daily 

challenges such as lack of food and inadequate public transportation. Programs that support low-income families are to 

strive for predicable, stable, and consistent services to help 

buffer these challenges. Staff turnover or other programmatic 

changes can be enormously stressful. Either too much 

change or changes that are sudden or chaotic can 

overwhelm and adversely affect children and families. To 

prevent this stress, we pay careful attention to how children 

and families experience transitions as a part of their 

Early Head Start experience. 

This paper examines 3 types of transitions: 

1. The transition into Early Head Start 

2. The transition from Early Head Start into Head Start
 

or another community-based program
 

3. Transitions within the Early Head Start program,
 

which might include a child moving from one program
 

option to another, adjusting to staff turnover, or moving
 

from one classroom to the next
 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

In addition, the paper incorporates quotes (see “Program Voices” boxes) from various programs who share their 

transition strategies. Addresses for these programs are listed in the appendix that follows this paper. 

Most often, the transition into or out of Early Head Start is what comes to mind when considering transition planning [CFR 1304.41(c)]. A common example of a transition of this nature occurs when a child in Early Head Start 

4 

reaches the age of 3 years and enters a preschool Head Start 

or community child-care program. Yet, the transitions that 

happen to children and families while they are enrolled in a 

program also require thoughtful planning and preparation. 

Some changes can be anticipated, for example, the move 

from one program option to another, whereas others may be 

unexpected, as when a beloved staff member departs. In both 

cases, children and families benefit most when they have a 

strong partnership with program staff members and when the 

responses from these staff members are individualized for specific child and family needs and circumstances. 

It is important to keep in mind that the transitions that are 

the easiest to anticipate and influence are the transitions that 

happen during daily activities, for example, moving from one 

activity to another within the daily schedule. These transitions, while not the focus of this paper, provide valuable 

learning experiences and help prepare children and families 

for the bigger transitions they will face. These daily experiences provide ongoing opportunities to help children develop 

coping skills such as flexibility, patience, and confidence. If 

program staff members approach all transitions as an opportunity for growth, then they will be giving children and families 

a strong foundation on which to develop the skills that are 

necessary for weathering the inevitable changes that happen 

throughout life. 

PROGRAM VOICES 

E

ach family in the program is given a 

Transition Guide to highlight the importance of transitions and help plan for 

them. The following is an excerpt from the 

introduction to the guide: “What is transition? 

Transition is any kind of a change in routine 

for children or families. Examples of transitions 

include: going from dinner to taking a bath, 

moving from free-play to clean up, a change in 

child care, etc. Transition is also the process of 

moving from one location to another, such as 

when you and your child transition from Early 

Head Start to the next appropriate placement. 

Examples of next appropriate placements 

include Head Start Center-Based Programs, 

Head Start Home-Based Programs, center or 

family daycare, nursery school, relative care, 

special education settings, or other settings 

selected by parents. Sometimes transitions can 

be difficult. Attachments to home visitors, 

specialists, and families are hard to let go of. 

So it becomes very important for all of us to 

prepare for this change.”— 

Litchfield County EHS 
Creating a Network of 

Support: The Transition 

Into and Out of Early 

Head Start 

“Grantee and delegate agencies must establish and maintain 

procedures to support successful transitions for enrolled 

children and families from previous child care programs into 

Early Head Start or Head Start and from Head Start into 

elementary school, a Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act preschool program, or other child care settings. 

These procedures must include: 





Coordinating with the schools or other agencies to ensure 

that individual Early Head Start or Head Start children’s 

relevant records are transferred to the school or next 

placement in which a child will enroll or from earlier 

placements to Early Head Start or Head Start; 

Outreach to encourage communication between Early 

Head Start or Head Start staff and their counter parts in 

the schools and other child care settings including principals, 

teachers, social workers and health staff to facilitate 

continuity of programming; 





Initiating meetings involving Head Start teachers and 

parents and kindergarten or elementary school teachers to 

discuss the developmental progress and abilities of 

individual children; and 

Initiating joint transition-related training for Early Head 

Start or Head Start staff and school or other child 

development staff.” [45 CFR 1304.41(c)(1–3)] 

The Head Start Program Performance Standards above 

describe an ongoing, systematic, and comprehensive 

approach to transition planning. A successful transition 

between Early Head Start and other community services 

benefits not only children and their families but also the 

programs and the community. 

The benefits to children include individualized services 

that reflect an understanding of the child’s unique 

characteristics, strengths, and challenges. Under these 

circumstances, children experience less anxiety and 

adapt to a new setting with less emotional upheaval 

and distress. 

All family members experience a greater sense of 

control and less turmoil when things go well for the 

children. Effective transition practices give families 

experience in identifying their goals, advocating for 

their needs, and finding resources. 

The benefits to programs include fewer crises to 

manage and greater job satisfaction for staff members. 

A successful transition out of the program leaves a 

positive, lasting impression in the hearts and minds of 

the families who have been supported in the program 

and through the transition. It is, in a way, the 

culmination of the growth that the children and 

families have experienced in the program. 

Communities benefit because transition practices 

strengthen community connections. A cohesive network 

of support that is responsive to community needs 

creates an environment that nourishes all its members. 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

A number of questions are commonly asked about the 

transition out of Early Head Start at age 3. These 

questions are addressed in the following sections. 

When Does Transition Planning Begin? 

“To ensure the most appropriate placement and services 

following participation in Early Head Start, transition 

planning must be undertaken for each child and family at 

least six moths prior to the child’s third birthday. The 

process must take into account: The child’s health status 

and developmental level, progress made by the child and 

family while in Early Head Start, current and changing 

family circumstances, and the availability of Head Start 

and other child development or children care services in the 

community. As appropriate, a child may remain in Early 

Head Start, following his or her third birthday, for additional months until he or she can transition into Head Start 

or another program.” [45 CFR 1304.41(c)(2)] 

The Head Start Program Performance Standards above 

reveal that transition planning for exiting the Early 

Head Start program must begin at least 6 months before 

a child’s third birthday. However, in practice, transition 

planning is an ongoing process and the transition out of 

the program will build on the transitions that the child 

has experienced while he or she has been enrolled in the 

program. 

An effective transition out of the Early Head Start 

program is individualized for each child and family. As 

described above, some of the factors that will influence 

the transition process and must be taken into 

consideration including the child’s health status and 

developmental level, the progress of the child and family 

while in the Early Head Start program, the family’s 

current and changing circumstances, and the availability 

of Head Start and other community services 

PROGRAM VOICES 

P

reparing families for the transition out 

of the program begins at the time of 

enrollment. We encourage families to set 

goals around the transition by the time the child 

is 2 years of age. This helps families actively 

begin planning for the transition and allows for 

ongoing monitoring of transition planning. The 

formal transition process begins 6 months before 

the child’s third birthday and we use a detailed 

checklist to ensure that we follow each step of 

the process in a timely manner.— 

Missoula EHS 

6 

Does a Child in Early Head Start Automatically Qualify for 

Head Start? 

“The family income must be verified by the Head Start 

program before determining that a child is eligible to 

participate in the program” 45 CFR 1305.4(c) 

When a child leaves Early Head Start and enters 

Head Start, the family’s income must be reassessed to 

determine whether the family meets income eligibility 

requirements for Head Start. If the family of a child 

leaving Early Head Start no longer meets the income 

eligibility criteria for Head Start, the Early Head Start 

program would then assist the family in finding a suitable 

preschool placement if that is what the child needs. 

Another possibility is that the child could be enrolled in 
Head Start as part of the enrollment that Head Start 

programs can offer to families who are above the federal 

poverty guidelines but who meet other eligibility and 

selection criteria: 

“Up to ten percent of the children who are enrolled may be 

children from families that exceed the low-income guidelines 

but who meet criteria the program has established for 

selecting such children and who would benefit from 

Head Start services” 45 CFR 1305.4(b). 

Local programs develop their selection criteria based 

on their community assessment and approved by their 

Policy Council: 

“The Early Head Start and Head Start grantee and 

delegate agency must use information from the Community 

Assessment to: ...set criteria that define the types of 

children and families who will be given priority for 

recruitment and selection.” 45 CFR 1305.3(C)(6). 

“Policy Councils and Policy Committees must work in 

partnership with key management staff and the governing 

body to develop review, and approve or disapprove 

the...criteria for defining recruitment, selection, and 

enrollment priorities in accordance with the requirements 

of 45 CFR part 1305.” 45 CFR 1304.50(d)(1)(vii). 

How Long Can a 3-Year-Old Child Stay in Early 

Head Start? 

“As appropriate, a child may remain in Early Head Start, 

following his or her third birthday, for additional months 

until he or she can transition into Head Start or another 

program.” 45 CFR 1304.41 (c)(2) 

“To be eligible for Head Start services, a child must be at 

least three years old by the date used to determine eligibility 

for public school in the community in with the Head Start 

program is located, except in cases where the Head Start 

program’s approved grant provides specific authority to 

serve younger children.” 45 CFR 1305.4(a) 

A child might be best served by remaining in Early 

Head Start past his or her third birthday if no appropriate 

Head Start or other community child development program 

is available at that time. Although no set time frame is 

stated for how long a child can remain in Early Head Start, 

the intent of the legislation is to serve children until they 

are age 3. Programs are to work with families and preschool 

settings to determine what is appropriate for each child 

given the community and family circumstances. 

Are Children Who Turn 3 After The Date Set to 

Determine Compulsory School Age Attendance 

Eligible for Preschool Head Start? 

Each Head Start program operated in a community shall be 

permitted to provide more than 1 year of Head Start 

services to eligible children (age 3 to compulsory school 

attendance) in the State. Each Head Start program 

operated in a community shall be permitted to recruit and 

accept application for enrollment of children throughout the 

year. Head Start Act, Section 645(c) 

An agency which operates both an Early Head Start 

program and a Head Start program must ensure, whenever 

possible, that children and families receive services 

until the child reaches the age of mandatory school 

attendance. Head Start Act, Section 645 A(b)(7) 

To be eligible for Head Start services, a child must be at 

least three years old by the date used to determine 

eligibility for public school in the community in with the 

Head Start program is located, except in cases where the 

Head Start program’s approved grant provides specific 

authority to serve younger children. 45 CFR 1305.4(a) 

Section 645(c) of the Head Start Act does not prohibit 

enrolling children in preschool Head Start who do not 

meet the compulsory school age requirement for their 

state, and Section 645A(b)(7) supports continued preschool 

Head Start services for Early Head Start children. Thus, 

the guiding principle is that Head Start preschool 

grantees may serve children “as of their third birthday” 

under the following circumstances: 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

1) Specific authority to serve younger children is 

written into the grantee’s approved grant from the 

Regional Office, as required by the Head Start Program 

Performance Standard 45 CFR 1305.4(a); 

2) The Early Head Start and Head Start program 

determine, through careful and comprehensive transition 

planning, that this option best meets the child’s needs; 

3) The Head Start program can offer a developmentally 

appropriate environment for the child; 

4) The child meets the Head Start program’s eligibility 

and selection criteria; and 

5) The Head Start grantee has an approved process for 

selecting and enrolling children as of his or her third 

birthday. 

In some situations, a child might enter a suitable child 

care program for a year until there is a developmentally 

appropriate placement in the Head Start program. 

Alternatively, if Early Head Start can offer an appropriate 

environment that meets the child’s and family’s needs, 

then the child may remain in Early Head Start until he 

or she could transition into a Head Start or other 

community preschool program. It is also important to 

remember that the Head Start Act [Section 654(c)] 

permits recruitment and enrollment of children 

throughout the year. 

Children with disabilities are similarly eligible for 

preschool Head Start programs as of their third birthday 

under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 

(IDEA) of 1990. Under 

IDEA, the child with a 

disability who requires 

special education services 

is entitled to a free and 

appropriate public education no later than that 

child’s third birthday. For 

these children, their eligibility for public school 

education begins by their third birthday, regardless of the 

date set for compulsory school attendance. The child’ 

enrollment in Head Start would also have to meet the 

program’s selection and enrollment criteria and there 

must be an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicating 

that Head Start, with such supports as necessary from the 

local education agency special education and related 

service providers, would be an appropriate placement. 

What Are Transition Classrooms? 

Some Early Head Start programs have met the challenge 

of providing developmentally appropriate services to 

3-year-olds by creating “transition classrooms.” Head 

Start grantees that offer services to children from birth to 

5 can have Early Head Start and Head Start children in 

the same classroom if they: 

(a) Obtain regional office approval on a grantee by 

grantee basis. This must be done through the program’s 

Federal Project Officer. 

(b) Follow the appropriate regulations for group size, 

child-and-teacher ratio, and teacher qualifications – 

when 3-year-olds who are enrolled in Early Head Start 

are in a class with Head Start children, the ratio of 

children to teachers must be 4:1, with a maximum group 

size of eight children and two qualified teachers as 

required by the Head Start Program Performance 

Standards [45 CFR 1304.52(g)(4)]. 

(c) Maintain separate funding accounts, when 

applicable 

Ultimately, effective transitions from one program to 

another help children grow and adapt. A natural 

extension of the work we do with children and families 

while they are enrolled in an Early Head Start program is 

to set goals, find resources, support healthy growth and 

development, and encourage children and families to 

keep reaching for what comes next, not only during the 

rapidly changing first 3 years but also as they look toward 

the future. 
Balancing Continuity and 

Change: Transitions 

Within an Early Head 

Start Program 

This section will explore the variety of transitions that 

children and families experience while they are enrolled 

in a program. At the heart of transitions at the programmatic level is the balance between the importance of 

continuity for infants and toddlers and the inevitable 

changes that happen within a comprehensive child 

development program. As discussed earlier, predictable 

routines and consistent caregiving are paramount at this 

developmental stage when children are first forming 

trust, security, and concepts of self and other. 

PROGRAM VOICES 

Acase manager delivers services to 

pregnant women in their homes. 

The visits are all about planning for 

the birth, using tools like the family partnership 

agreement, a birth plan, and a baby care plan. 

This allows us to be preparing for the transition 

to home- or center-based care throughout the 

pregnancy. Following delivery, the same case 

manager will provide home visits for the family 

until the child enters the center-based program, 

or if the child is home-based, they will move 

into the home-based program with the same 

case manager as their home visitor.— 

Missoula EHS 

Services to Pregnant Women 

One of the earliest programmatic transitions that a 

family may experience is the change from receiving Early 

Head Start services as an expectant family to enrolling 

their child into the appropriate program option following 

the birth of the baby. Program leaders are to plan from 

the time that the program is initially funded how they 

will simultaneously provide services to pregnant women 

while ensuring that the program has space available for 

the infants after birth. Staff members also begin planning 

with the expectant family at the time of enrollment to 

determine the appropriate program option for the child. 

The time frame to enroll the infant in the selected 

program option depends on family needs. State 

child-care regulations may determine the earliest age at 

which a child can enter center-based care. Children can 

transition into a home-based option and begin program 

services when the family and program determine that it 

is appropriate. (See Information Memorandum 

ACYF-IM-HS-02-04 for more information on services to 

pregnant women in Early Head Start, which is available 

on the Internet at 

http://www.headstartinfo.org/publications/im02/im02_ 

04a.htm. 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Transitions to New Settings 

“Grantee and delegate agencies’ program of services for 

infants and toddlers must encourage the development of 

secure relationships in out-of-home care settings for infants 

and toddlers by having a limited number of consistent 

teachers over an extended period of time.” 

[45 CFR 1304.21(b)(1)(i)]. 

Children and their families can receive Early Head 

Start services in a variety of settings while they are 

enrolled in the program. Some of the transitions that 

involve a change of environment include moving from 

one program option to another or moving from one 

classroom to the next. 

PROGRAM VOICES 

We offer home-based services and 

community-based child care. The 

children in the community childcare programs also receive home visits. We 

contract with child-care providers to offer a 

variety of child-care arrangements to families, 

depending on their needs. To facilitate a smooth 

transition from one program option to another, 

the same home visitor stays with the family if 

they change program options. We are also 

working with our child-care partners to use 

mixed-age groupings in the center so that children can stay with the same teacher from birth 

to age 3 and from age 3 to 5.— 

Project Eagle EHS 

Many Early Head Start programs offer several program 

options, recognizing the changing and diverse needs of 

children and families during the course of their enrollment. It is not unusual for children to move from one 

program option to another. For example, families of very 

young infants might choose home-based services until 

the parents return to work full-time and need child care. 

In another example, a child may be in center-based care, 

but the family is going through a crisis that warrants the 

additional support of home visits for a period of time. 

Some of the challenging tasks families have to negotiate 

during these changes are building relationships with new 

people and making significant changes in routines. In 

fact, a change of program options for a family can feel 

like an entirely new program to the child and family and 

requires the same kind of attention to planning and individualizing that staff members would give a transition to 

a new program. 

In some center-based programs, children are grouped 

according to age or developmental level whereas, in 

others, children are combined in mixed-age groups. 

Children grouped by age will likely change teachers 

and classrooms several times over the course of their 

10 
enrollment. These changes should be minimized to as 

few as possible for infants and toddlers. It is important to 

recognize that a child who is moving from one classroom 

to another will experience multiple losses: a place he or 

she has come to know and trust; a teacher he or she 

depends on and adores; children he or she has befriended; 

and routines that help him or her feel secure and competent. 

These transitions should be handled with great care. 

Think of ways to foster continuity, for example, 

arranging visits to the new classroom so the children and 

families can become familiar with the teacher and setting; 

ensuring that the former teacher shares information with 

the new teacher about the children’s interests and preferences; and following similar routines in the new setting 

as children adjust to their surroundings. 

PROGRAM VOICES 

We strive for continuity of care in 

our centers by having the same 

group of children stay with the 

same teacher from birth to age 3. The children 

and teachers together move to a different classroom as the children age so that the only change 

is the setting.— 

Mississippi Band of Choctaw EHS 

Staffing Changes 

Staff turnover is stressful 

for programs, families, and 

children. Young 

children often become 

emotionally attached to 

their teachers and experience a loss when they 

leave. It is hard to prepare 

very young children for 

these changes because 

only in a limited way can 

they understand why a beloved teacher is there one day 

and gone the next. Teachers can make these transitions 

easier by making something concrete with which to 

mark their leaving, for example, a photo of the staff 

member and child together for the child to keep. The 

departing staff member also can help by transitioning the 

new teacher into the group over a period of time. Parents 

play an equally important role in helping children adjust 

to the new teacher by spending time with their children 

in the classroom when the new teacher begins, being 

positive about the new person, and demonstrating their 

confidence in the new person’s skills. 

If the departure of a staff member is sudden and 

unexpected, for example due to an accident or illness, 

children and families may experience even greater turmoil. 

It is important to keep routines – such as the day and 

time of home visits, or the classroom schedule – as similar 

as possible to minimize the amount of change at one 

time. Open communication between staff members and 

families is critical and children and families will need 

time to build trust with new staff members and adjust to 

the changes. 

Frequent staff turnover is especially problematic. Under 

these circumstances, children are unable to develop the 

kind of close, trusting relationships that they need to feel 

secure and confident. Programs that are experiencing 

high turnover need to look carefully at the reasons for the 

turnover and take extra precautions to help families 

adjust to the ongoing changes. When a program is under 

stress, that stress is easily felt by the children and families. 

Times of stress within programs are important times to 

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E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

pay particular attention to management systems that are 

in place (or should be put in place) to help deal with the 

problem swiftly and effectively. 

Early childhood programs, like the young children and 

families they serve, go through stages of development 

and periods of more or less upheaval. Even positive 

changes such as the growth of a program or a child moving 

to a program option that better meets family needs can 

bring stress to staff members and families alike. However, 

if program leaders have strong and effective systems— 

planning, communication, and self-assessment, to name 

a few—the stress can be the positive kind that motivates 

and inspires. 

Supporting the Staff Members Who Support Families 

Staff members also react to the transitions that families 

go through. Sometimes, remaining objective in the midst 

of change challenges us both personally and professionally. 

For example, staff members can struggle to “let go” of 

families with whom they have worked closely and to 

whom they must now say good-bye. Staff members who 

are experiencing a transition such as a staff turnover 

can have difficulty supporting families. During these 

times, staff members need to have access to supportive 

supervision where they have the opportunity to discuss 

their reactions and concerns and work collaboratively to 

address them. Emotions are often heightened for both 

staff members and families, and being aware of professional 

boundaries is especially important. These issues are 

excellent topics for staff training through case 

presentations, team meetings, or workshops. 

12 

PROGRAM VOICES 

I

t can be so hard on staff members when 

families leave the program. They become 

so close to their families and really need to 

grieve that loss. We try to wait for about a 

month after a family leaves before assigning a 

new family to that staff member so they can 

mourn the loss of the family that left. They 

really need that time before they are emotionally 

ready to bond with a new family. The thing 

that is really challenging in Early Head Start is 

that families are transitioning in and out of the 

program all year so staff members are constantly 

facing these losses.— 

Missoula EHS 
The Key to Continuity: 

The Family 

Ideally, the love and support of a child’s family is the one 

sure thing that children can count on in the midst of all 

transitions, big and small. The research literature that 

explores how infants and toddlers develop strong, positive 

relationships with their parents describes the parent as a 

“secure base” that children need to return to over and 

over as they venture away to test their new skills and 

their effect on the world around them. The family is the 

key to continuity if they can be counted on to provide 

that safe and secure base to which a child can always 

return for comfort and care. For that reason, we must do 

all we can to empower families to be involved, make 

decisions, and advocate for their children. We must 

also recognize when families are unable to do so, and 

take particular care to support children and families to 

overcome those barriers. 

All that we do to partner with families and involve 

them in their child’s education, health, and early 

development supports our goal of strengthening the 

parent-child relationship. Strong, supportive, trusting 

relationships between parents and children are the best 

buffer for the challenges children face as they grow and 

are a primary component of planning effective transition 

services in Early Head Start. 

13 

PROGRAM VOICES 

We involve parents in all aspects of 

our transition services, recognizing 

that they are the most important 

person for their child. We strongly believe in the 

importance of attachment and continuity of 

care. This is reflected in how we communicate 

with parents on a daily basis about their 

children, as well as in the systems we have 

developed for transitioning children into and 

out of Early Head Start.– 

AWARE, Inc. Early Head Start 
E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

14 

The Family Partnership Agreement Process 

The family partnership agreement process [45 CFR 

1304.40(a)(1-5)] is one of the ways staff members can plan 

for transitions with families. This process refers to the set 

of opportunities that programs provide to help families 

set individualized goals (for resources on the family 

partnership agreement process, see Appendix B). As staff 

members support families through the family partnership 

agreement process, they have ongoing opportunities to 

assess where families are and where they would like to be 

as well as to plan and prepare for transitions as families 

move toward their goals. 

When staff members are working with families around 

the issue of transitions it is especially useful to address 

the emotional aspects of the change as well as the 

practical considerations related to the transition. Help 

families to name the feelings they may be experiencing 

and to know that experiencing a wide range of conflicting 

emotions—fear, excitement, sadness— can be perfectly 

normal. Often, a grieving period accompanies life 

changes, even when the change is positive. If particularly 

strong or confusing feelings arise, then making a referral 

for additional support from a mental health therapist is 

appropriate. In fact, transitions can evoke painful 

memories or unresolved grief over past losses. If handled 

well, the opportunity to work through these issues in the 

context of the present transition can lead to enormous 

personal growth and healing. 

In Conclusion 

A toddler, taking his or her first steps away and learning 

to master the surrounding world needs to return to his 

or her parents over and over again for the support and 

comfort that sustains the child to move out into the 

world and master still more new challenges. Likewise, 

our job as program leaders and staff members is to help 

create a “secure base” in our programs and our 

communities where families can find a consistent and 

stable source of support as they guide their young 

children through life’s early transitions. 

PROGRAM VOICES 

The following are some of the items that 

can be included in the family partnership agreement as transition goals: 

Investigate the options within the community; 

visit the new setting; select the setting that is 

most appropriate for your child; write down 

and share with the center your family routines 

and most common words used by your child 

to express his or her needs; allow plenty of 

opportunities for your child to practice new and 

emerging independence skills; be sure that your 

child is up to date on physical and dental 

exams; and apply for child-care assistance.— 

Litchfield Early Head Start 
Appendix A
 

“PROGRAM VOICES” CONTACT INFORMATION 

The Early Head Start National Resource Center gratefully acknowledges the following programs who contributed 

to this publication by sharing their transition strategies. 

Contact information is provided if you would like to 

learn more about their approach to transitions. 

AWARE, Inc., Early Head Start 

237 E. Mercury Street 

Butte, MT 59701 

406-782-0455 

Litchfield County Early Head Start, Education Connection 

355 Goshen Road 

P.O. Box 909 

Litchfield, CT 06759 

860-567-0863 

Missoula Early Head Start 

2121 39th Street 

Missoula, MT 59802 

406-251-9410 

Mississippi Band of Choctaw 

P.O. Box 6010 Choctaw Branch 

Philadelphia, MS 39350 

601-650-1722 

Project Eagle Early Head Start 

Tower II, Suite 900 

4th and State Avenue 

Kansas City, KS 66101 

913-281-2648 

15 
16 

E ARLY HEAD S TART P ROGRAM S TRATEGIES Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers 

Appendix B 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TRANSITION 

PLANNING 

Head Start Training Guides 

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity - 2000 

http://www.headstartinfo.org/pdf/effective_transitions/Eff 

ectiveTransition.pdf (6MB) 

Infant and Toddler Transitions - 1999 

http://www.headstartinfo.org/pdf/infant-toddler_transitions/infant_and_toddler_transitions.pdf (2 MB) 

Planning for Transitions - 1997 

http://www.headstartinfo.org/pdf/Planning_Transitions/Pl 

anning_for_Transitions.pdf (1 MB) 

Publications and On-line Resources 

Transitions: Parents are Key - 2000 

http://www.bmcc.edu/Headstart/Trngds/Transitions/ 

(Bay Mills Community College) 

Early Head Start Program Strategies: 

The Family Partnership Agreement Process 

http://www.ehsnrc.org/pdffiles/mpsfamily.pdf 

Foreman, S. (2000). Saying “goodbye” isn’t always easy: 

Transitioning into kindergarten. 

Children and Families, 14(3), 56-59. 

Lally, J.R. (1995). The impact of child care policies and practices 

on infant/toddler identity formation. 

Young Children, 51(1), 58-67. 

Lally, J.R., Torres, Y.L., & Phelps, P. C. (1994). Caring for infants 

and toddlers in groups: Necessary considerations for emotional, 

social, and cognitive development. 

Zero to Three, 14(5), 1-8. 

McCracken, J. B. (1995). So many goodbyes: Ways to ease the 

transitions between home and groups for young children. 

Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. 

Raikes, H. (1996). A secure base for babies: Applying attachment 

concepts to the infant care setting. 

Young Children, 51(5), 59-67. 
EARLY HEAD START NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER