Educators are increasingly using trauma-informed approaches to lessen the harsh effects of trauma on children. Although this practice is becoming more common in U.S. kindergarten through Grade 12 schools, it has been slow to reach the early care and education setting, which includes Head Start programs. Head Starts are encouraged to use a trauma…

Federal guidance allows Head Start grant recipients to apply to the Office of Head Start to shift funding (i.e., convert enrollment slots) from Head Start services for preschool-age children to Early Head Start services for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Yet scant information is available about how grant recipients navigate the conversion…

In March 2022, Child Trends contracted with the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to conduct an independent evaluation of Parent Aware, Minnesota's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early care and education (ECE) programs. The evaluation was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2021 and includes several…

Background/Context: The early school years are an important time for building family-school relationships (Sibley & Dearing, 2014). As such, family engagement is a top priority of organizations that serve young children, such as Head Start. Children whose parents report being involved in their school demonstrate greater social competence and…