Lists candidates for National Head Start Association (NHSA) elected positions and announces four new awards sponsored by the NHSA. Recognizes the Missouri State Highway Patrol for its work with Head Start children. Presents a draft report on the NHSA Quality Initiative, a system designed to promote quality in Head Start and to provide challenges…

Responds to criticism of Head Start by outlining Head Start's goals and design; reviewing research studies of the program's effectiveness; discussing the cost of funding quality programs; and providing examples of expanded Head Start programs that serve infants, toddlers, and school age children, and examples of creative uses of supplementary…

Discusses guidelines for providing quality direct services to Head Start families. Suggests that nonjudgmental attitudes, empathy, instruction, reinforcement, shaping, removal of barriers, contracting referral, advocacy, and other helping skills permit effective direct services. Proposes FNA (family needs assessment) as a valuable tool with which…