Training Guides for
the Head Start Learning Community:
Community
Partnerships:
Working Together
Module 1
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| Contents | Preface
| Introduction
| Module 1
| Module 2
| Module 3
| Module 4 | |
What is Collaboration?
Handout 2: Community Partnerships
Overview
Many local Head Start programs are already on the road to collaboration. Below are some examples of community partnerships.
- Troubleshooting Partners!
Partners: King County Head Start, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, Washington State Child-Care Subsidy Program, Employment Security Office, Work First (state welfare program), and state policy-makers.
Mission: To troubleshoot when families have difficulty maneuvering the service system.Head Start families in King County, Washington continued to get "lost in the system"; the fragmented system failed to support low-income families because many agencies lacked the knowledge and expertise needed to refer families to the appropriate resources. To rectify this situation, the partners collaborated to create a coordinated referral system. In this community partnership, each partner received cross training in order to increase their knowledge of other agencies. Throughout this cross training, staff were able to build rapport and identify people to contact within each organization. In addition to cross-training, the agencies have created a one-stop referral policy. Now, when families seek assistance, they only need to go to one staff person, who is prepared to dispense all of the information the family may need.
- Collaboration to Ease Increased Demand
Partners: Lake Erie Head Start, family day-care providers, and New York State Child-Care Subsidy Program.
Mission: To provide high-quality Head Start services to all eligible children.Because of the growing number of families requiring child-care, the Lake Erie Head Start program collaborates with local family day-care providers, and the child-care subsidy program to ensure that all eligible children receive comprehensive Head Start services. Family day-care providers are reimbursed the full-day child-care subsidy from the state when they agree to provide an educational program that meets the philosophy and standards of Head Start. Head Start, in turn, brings its staff development and training capabilities to the partnership. Head Start also works to create a high-quality learning environment by providing materials to the family day-care provider. Because of this collaboration, all children enrolled in the participating family day-care home benefit by receiving Head Start services.
- Collaborating for Full-Day Services
Partners: Chugiak Children's Services, local schools, health clinics, and community organizations.
Mission: To increase services to children and families through shared resources.
Chugiak Children's Services sought additional funding to enhance its ability to provide high-quality comprehensive services for children and families. Year after year, grants were awarded to community organizations that duplicate existing services. Yet, none of the agencies was able to provide the comprehensive services that the families needed. Thus, Chugiak Children's Services formed a collaborative with other community organizations, schools, and local clinics. The collaborative applied for and received joint funding to combine program services. As a result, the collaborative is able to provide a complete continuum of services to children and families in the community.
Copyright © 1998 Head Start Publications Management Center
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