Head Start's Continuing Commitment to Children
With Disabilities and Their Families
Jim 0 'Brien, Program Specialist, Health and Disabilities Services Branch, Head Start Bureau
The Head Start Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities were published as a Final Rule in the Federal Register in January 1993. These regulations represent a reaffirmation of Head Start's longstanding commitment to provide services which support the physical, cognitive, communicative, and social-emotional development of young children with disabilities.
Head Start has had a legislative mandate to include children with disabilities in its program of comprehensive child development services since 1972. The recent regulation on "Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance in Head Start" requires that at least 10 percent of the enrollment opportunities "for each grantee and each delegate agency" must be made available to children with disabilities, and the programs must be physically and functionally accessible to serve children with disabilities and their families. In the 199 1-92 program year, Head Start exceeded this enrollment figure by enrolling over 83,000 (13.4 percent) Head Start children with disabilities.
This issue of the Bulletin highlights several approaches to assure that young children with disabilities are recruited and enrolled in Head Start programs in a manner which meets each child's needs and is supportive of their families. These approaches have been implemented with the full participation of parents, Head Start staff across all component areas, and with community partners such as local school systems, non profit agencies, and volunteers.
Recruitment sets the stage for the Head Start program's efforts to serve children with disabilities. To reach out to serve children with disabilities effectively requires programs to coordinate with community programs that serve infants and toddlers with disabilities. Programs also need partners to secure less restrictive environments for the children they serve in order to meet the goals of the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
For many parents, Head Start is viewed as an important milestone in their efforts to meet their child's developmental needs. They are learning how the larger society will accept and include their child; Head Start must strive to assure that these lessons will be positive and productive. A supportive, positive, and problem-solving approach by the Head Start program provides a family with the opportunity to develop a sense of security and confidence which can help them become more successful in their roles as their child's first teacher and best advocate. Head Start has much to offer these families, including its expertise in parent involvement and in meeting the diverse needs of low-income families, its health and nutrition activities, and its stimulating and supportive educational environment.
A Head Start program's disabilities services plan must be well conceived and supported with program resources and commitments from all component staff. Comprehensive planning and a flexible, problem-solving orientation, are needed to ensure that placement in a Head Start program is not precluded by the type or severity of a child's disability. Each child's IEP must form the basis for determining which service options can meet the child's individual needs.
In many cases, delivering the most appropriate educational services for a child with a disability will require collaborating with community resources, particularlylocal education agencies. Head Start programs must continue to develop and sustain relationships with their partners. This process requires taking time to learn and respect what each partner can contribute and to establish the trust and teamwork which will allow the child and family's needs to be at the center of planning for services.Head Start's goal to promote the development of social competence for Head Start children with disibilities is the same for all Head Start children, in that an individualized approach to accomplish this goal is required. When serving children with disabilities, Head Start staff will sometimes need additional training and support to attain the skill and confidence necessary to perform effectively. It is not unusual for Head Start staff to initially experience some doubt about their ability to serve children with severe disabilities. Information, training, support, and team building with partners to bring specialized skills in serving children with disabilities can help Head Start staff develop confidence and a sense of accomplishment in meeting the challenge.
Head Start's mission is best illustrated through its many success stories. These successes are the result of commitment and hard work on the part of the Head Start staff, families, and the children themselves. Head Start programs want to succeed and see the children and families they serve succeed. Developing the capacity to succeed requires a combination of leadership, staff training and support, the determination to accept challenges, and perseverance. These ingredients are essential for Head Start success in any aspect of the program. The accomplishments of Head Start children with disabilities, which are made one step at a time, continue to be among the most powerful testaments to the value of the Head Start program.
Back to Top | Back to Table of Contents | Next Page