Both individual programs and the Federal government must work hand in hand to realize the vision, principles, and program concept outlined above for the Early Head Start program. The Advisory Committee believes that a Federal commitment to training, monitoring, research and evaluation, and partnership building which respects and supports local program responsibility, initiative, and flexibility is paramount for the programs' success. In addition, Federal commitment is also needed to support and learn from existing Federal programs serving families with infants and toddlers so that they will have the opportunity to achieve excellence and meet the standards that will be set forth for this initiative. With this commitment, we feel the initiative for families with infants and toddlers will be able to serve as a national laboratory both testing and exemplifying quality child development and family development programs.
Training
Clearly the quality of programs is contingent upon the ongoing support and development of program staff who are trained in the various disciplines which support the principles of family-centered services. As described earlier, program staff need to be able to facilitate both the development of very young children and the development of families. But in too many communities, staff who can play this dual role are few or nonexistent.
The Advisory Committee urges the Secretary to engage in public-private partnerships aimed at establishing a cadre of highly trained practitioners and trainers who will be able to support the development of very young children and their families. Such an effort should extend beyond the scope of the new initiative for families with infants and toddlers, so that children cared for in a variety of settings will benefit from this commitment to enhancing the quality and quantity of caregivers. An example of such a partnership would be a commitment on the part of the Federal government to work with institutions of higher learning to ensure multi-disciplinary pre-service education and field work experience is available for students who wish to work in family-focused programs serving very young children and their families. Another example would be partnering with the foundation or philanthropic community to develop scholarship programs for low-income students desiring but unable to enter the field. A further example is coordinating with organizations of professional trainers to ensure they have the skills, resources and supports needed to work with programs providing early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive services and support to very young children and their families.
When designing the specific training and technical assistance plan for Early Head Start, the Federal government must focus on the whole spectrum of support and services that are needed for developing and advancing high quality staff, from pre-service and in-service training to supervision and mentoring. These supports and services must be provided in a continuous, holistic, responsive manner with the goal of building and nurturing the highest quality caregiving in all programs.
In addition to the focus on training, the Federal government also needs to take the lead in modeling a commitment to and respect for the importance of the caregiving profession. Given this, the Advisory Committee urges the Secretary to implement the Early Head Start program so that it models appropriate competencies, institutionalization of career ladders for staff working within the programs, and provision of staff salaries that are comparable to the importance of the job.
Monitoring
All programs need support and guidance to engage in continuous improvement. As directed by the legislation, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services must provide this support and guidance through ongoing monitoring of the operation of these programs, evaluating their effectiveness, and providing training and technical assistance tailored to the particular needs of such programs.
The Advisory Committee reminds the Secretary that performance standards must be developed and issued in order to set forth the expectation of high quality services and environments for programs serving families with infants and toddlers. It is recommended that there be consistency in the principles and framework of the Early Head Start and Head Start performance standards, with the goal being a seamless approach to Federal performance standards for children from birth to age five. While the goal should be a seamless approach, clearly the content of the standards will vary to reflect the differences in development of children during this age span. Once these are issued, monitoring should become a tool for both measuring progress toward these high quality standards and for engaging in continuous improvement.
Research and Evaluation
Evaluation of Early Head Start is essential for determining the effectiveness of the initiative and for advancing our understanding about which services work best for different families under different circumstances. Evaluation data and information collected at the local level as part of management information systems and ethnographic research are helpful to provide ongoing feedback to programs and support staff in packaging and delivering a comprehensive array of services which are responsive to and reflective of the individual needs of very young children and their families.
The Advisory Committee believes that the Secretary must approach evaluation not just as a mechanism for producing summary statistics and reports about the changes in child and family development as a result of these new efforts, but as a tool for individual programs so that they can continuously refine their practices based on feedback from their own program evaluation. This feedback is essential to identify the particular conditions and activities that enable parents and other caregivers to most successfully support children's development. It is also essential to test and refine as appropriate the quality of planning, training, staff selection, supervision and program management that is crucial to program success. These lessons learned will benefit local Early Head Start programs, add new knowledge to the fields of child and family development, and will help shape future efforts at the Federal level for very young children and their families.
In keeping with the Head Start national laboratory role, we encourage research that examines variations in Early Head Start experiences on child development to learn more about the effectiveness of different interventions for very young children and their families. Accordingly, we encourage the testing of new models which might focus on linkages between this initiative and welfare reform, special coordination with Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or efforts to support teen parents who are either in school or training. Equally important will be research that identifies features of intervention which optimize relationship building, and research that examines variations in caregiving experiences as they influence child development.
We also recommend that research and evaluation for this initiative be part of an overall research agenda for Head Start which places Head Start in the broader context of research on young children, families, and communities; ensures a commitment to ongoing themes; and has the flexibility to respond to new and emerging developments in the broader early childhood and family development fields.
Partnership Building
Just as local programs will be required to coordinate services in the State and community to ensure a comprehensive array of services, the Federal government must also build partnerships across programs, agencies and departments to facilitate effective integration and coordination of resources and services.
The Advisory Committee points Out that it is especially important that the Head Start Bureau work with the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the Medicaid program to enhance the availability of and access to comprehensive health services for pregnant women, and very young children and their families. The Advisory Committee particularly recommends Federal leadership in the development of services that are scarce in communities, such as mental health services that meet the needs of families with infants and toddlers. It is equally important that linkages be made with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Federal Interagency Coordination Council so that there is a clear message from the Federal government about the importance of partnership around early intervention at the Federal, State and community levels, especially between this initiative and Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The formation of a single Federal Interagency Coordination Council to address services for families with infants and toddlers who are served by Head Start and/or by Part H is recommended. Further, the Head Start Bureau is advised to develop partnerships with the National Institute of Child Health and Development and the National Institute of Mental Health so that programmatic and research activities can be coordinated and the results benefit and influence the work of all institutions.
Beyond coordination and partnership building among the many programs, agencies, and departments of the Federal government, the Advisory Committee advises the Head Start Bureau to continue consultation with professional organizations from relevant child and family development disciplines. Such consultation will help staff of the Head Start Bureau learn about emerging knowledge and apply this to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this and other programs.
Finally, it is equally important that the Head Start Bureau re evaluate its own regulations and procedures to support local creativity and responsiveness to the needs of very young children and their families. As a first step, the Advisory Committee recommends that the Secretary explore opportunities for Early Head Start programs to combine these resources with other public and private funding sources in order to serve more very young children and their families who might benefit from Early Head Start services and support. This is especially important as many Advisory Committee members feel that all children within a very low income community should be afforded access to these services. By allowing and encouraging Early Head Start communities to partner with other funding streams, it may be possible in some communities to provide access to most or all families with very young children.
Funding All of the above issues--;from the principles to the program concept and Federal commitments--; are moot when there are not adequate resources to develop and sustain high quality in each program. Advisory Committee members see the role of Early Head Start as a national laboratory and catalyst for change. The members point out that a Federal commitment is needed to ensure that resources are available in the short- and long-term to support the provision of high quality, well-integrated services.