Title
Head Start Birth to Five Full Enrollment Quarterly Update
Description
This report provides the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee, which serves as the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Governing Board, with an updated summary of the Head Start Birth to Five Program's Full Enrollment Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
The Office of Head Start mandates that all grantees maintain funded enrollment levels to ensure vulnerable children and families are provided resources and services that promote and support early learning, health, and family well-being.
In March 2023, the Office of Head Start informed the City of Phoenix that the Head Start Birth to Five Program had been under-enrolled for four consecutive months, September through December 2022, and is required to participate in the Full Enrollment Initiative (FEI). The FEI mandates full enrollment is achieved within 12 months (April 2024) and maintained for six consecutive months after that date.
To identify the critical factors impacting enrollment, a team was created that included Head Start Birth to Five leadership, Councilwoman Guardado, Human Services administrative staff, and a consultant with a national perspective of Head Start. Using historical and current data and the Community Needs Assessment, the team identified the following as critical factors impacting enrollment: (1) workforce, including the hiring and retention challenges of Head Start Birth to Five positions and Education Service Provider positions; (2) family needs, which include families request for full school day preschool; (3) community needs, which focuses on the location of slots in relationship to where eligible families live; and (4) language barriers, due to a shortage of Spanish speaking bilingual home visitors and challenges contracting translation services with the distinct dialects of enrolled families who speak languages other than English or Spanish.
To comprehensively focus on these critical factors, FEI subcommittees comprised of Head Start Birth to Five staff, Head Start Policy Council members, Human Services Commissioners, and community stakeholders were created. The FEI subcommittees meet every two to three weeks to discuss progress on the goals and activities that were developed to meet full enrollment. Monthly internal monitoring identifies progress that is reported monthly to the Office of Head Start, demonstrating the Head Start Birth to Five's commitment to achieving full enrollment.
The following information provides specific updates for each of the four subcommittees which have been meeting since May 2023.
Workforce Subcommittee
The Workforce Subcommittee, in collaboration with the Head Start Birth to Five Professional Development team, held a New Employee Orientation for more than 150 teachers and instructional assistants the first week in July 2023. The purpose of the orientation was to provide new staff with an overview of Head Start, the curriculum, and classroom management strategies, but also to create a sense of belonging, letting new staff know they are supported which can assist with staff retention. The subcommittee is also focusing on staff well-being. A survey will be sent to Education Division staff requesting their views on the division's culture, strengths, and areas to improve. The survey results will be used to strengthen practices, improve services for families, and ensure staff feel valued. The process will be introduced to the Education Service Providers to replicate in their agencies.
Family Needs Subcommittee
The Family Needs Subcommittee developed a survey that was sent to more than 550 parents whose children attended Head Start in the 2021-2022 school year and returned this year. The six-question survey asked parents to provide feedback on their experience last school year in Head Start. The questions asked if they felt welcomed in the classroom, if they preferred full-day or half-day classes, and if they had any transportation barriers. The subcommittee is analyzing the results to identify any trends or areas that need improvement and will have a final report ready by the end of October 2023.
Community Needs Subcommittee
The Community Needs Subcommittee has been focused on identifying geographical areas of high-need. Using the Community Needs Assessment and free and reduced lunch data, the subcommittee mapped out locations and identified how many slots are needed in each area. This distribution will be included in the upcoming mid-October 2023 Request for Qualifications solicitation.
Language Barriers Subcommittee
The Language Barriers Subcommittee has created two working groups. One group is reviewing the home visitation curriculum materials to identify which documents parents use most and the other group is identifying what languages are spoken by currently enrolled families. The most needed materials will be translated into the families' home language by the end of October 2023.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Human Services Department.