ERIC Number: EJ751962
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 18
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0256-8543
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Head Start-Operated Full-Day Services: Successes, Challenges, and Issues
Ceglowski, Deborah
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v20 n3 p189 Spr 2006
Researchers conducted focus groups in three Minnesota Head Start programs that provide full-day services. The purpose of this descriptive study was to understand how these programs operated, the strengths and challenges of full-day Head Start programs, and how working parents and those on public assistance described these services. Findings include parents' satisfaction with various models of full-day services and parents' needs for extended hour care, transportation, information about full-day options, and child care assistance. Attributes of successful models include guaranteed fiscal support to programs, long-term partnerships with community programs, equipment, supplies, and renovation funds for child care programs, and Head Start mentoring and support personnel to work with family and center providers. Full-day models coupled with postsecondary training opportunities provide a viable means to help families obtain family self-sufficiency. Challenges and issues include concerns about the quality of some child care programs, inadequate fiscal and Head Start staff support for child care partners, and lack of understanding of the differences between Head Start and child care. These findings are important because Head Start agencies, recognizing the need for full-day services, are now developing and implementing these services, and the three programs provide several models, each with strengths, weaknesses, and issues. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Disadvantaged Youth, Employed Parents, Community Programs, Focus Groups, Educational Opportunities, Child Care, Participant Satisfaction, Data Interpretation, Research Methodology, Case Studies, Program Evaluation, Child Care Centers, Program Effectiveness
Association for Childhood Education International. 17904 Georgia Avenue Suite 215, Olney, MD 20832. Tel: 800-423-3563; Tel: 301-570-2111; Fax: 301-570-2212; e-mail: headquarters@acei.org; Web site: http://www.acei.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A