...Title
Head Start Birth to Five Full Enrollment Initiative Plan
Description
Request the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee, which serves as the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Governing Board, to approve the Head Start Birth to Five Full Enrollment Initiative Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
The City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Program provides early childhood learning experiences and comprehensive social services for 3,451 children and families through three programs: (1) Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships which offers full-day childcare for 188 children from birth to age three whose parents work or attend school; (2) Early Head Start Home-Based program which provides home visitation to 300 children from birth to age three to assist parents in developing positive child-parent interactions; and (3) Head Start Preschool program which offers center-based early childhood education for 2,963 children ages three to five.
The Office of Head Start mandates that all grantees must operate at full enrollment, which is defined as 97 to 100 percent of the funded slots being filled. To reach full enrollment, program staff have attended multiple community events and placed advertising in bus shelters, refuse trucks and two local Ranch Markets. A partnership for advertising is in development with the Parks and Recreation Department to promote the program during summer events, after-school programs, and special events. Despite these ongoing activities, at the end of April 2023, the Head Start Birth to Five Program’s enrollment was 2,391, or 70 percent of funded enrollment.
Grantees who operate below the 97 percent threshold for four consecutive months are considered under-enrolled and are required to participate in the Full Enrollment Initiative (FEI). The Office of Head Start has 1,887 grantees nationally; a total of 455, or 24 percent, were fully enrolled as of December 31, 2022.
In March 2023, the Office of Head Start informed the City of Phoenix that its Head Start Birth to Five Program: (a) has been under-enrolled for four consecutive months and is required to participate in the FEI; (b) must submit an action plan by May 12, 2023, identifying critical factors that caused the grantee to be under-enrolled; and (c) has 12 months to become fully enrolled and maintain full enrollment for six consecutive months.
The Office of Head Start held a meeting on April 12, 2023, describing the requirements for the FEI Plan. Participating from the City of Phoenix were Head Start staff, Governing Board Chair Guardado, in addition to 16 other Grantees. Due to the timing of the meeting and the deadline for submission, approval from the Governing Board was not possible. When received, the Governing Board's decision will be submitted to the Office of Head Start.
Attachment A is the draft FEI Plan developed by staff outlining the four critical factors impacting full enrollment: (1) workforce, which includes hiring and retention challenges of City of Phoenix Head Start positions as well as hiring and retention challenges for Education Service Providers positions; (2) family needs which includes families wanting full-day rather than double sessions; (3) community needs which includes slots located in areas where more or less slots are needed; and (4) language barriers which includes a shortage of bilingual staff and challenges with contracted translation services for families who speak a distinct dialect.
To comprehensively focus on these factors, FEI subcommittees are being assembled and will be comprised of Head Start Birth to Five staff, Head Start Policy Council members, Governing Board member(s) or respective staff, and community stakeholders. These subcommittees will develop objectives and activities that will assist in overcoming the factors that are impacting enrollment. Monthly internal monitoring will identify progress, which will be reported quarterly to the Office of Head Start, demonstrating the Head Start Birth to Five Program's commitment to eliminating under-enrollment.
As the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Governing Board, staff requests the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee review and approve the City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Program's Full Enrollment Initiative Plan.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City of Phoenix Head Start Birth to Five Policy Council reviewed this item on May 8, 2023.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Human Services Department.