I.Introduction To Guide

II. The Head Start Home-Based Option
    A. Definition of Home-Based Services
    B. Definition of Supervision in the Head Start Home-Based Option
    C. Importance of Supervision
    D. Unique Supervision Needs and Issues in the Home-Based Option
    E. Ratio of Supervisors to Home Visitors
    F. Essention Documents
    G. Research and Evaluation Highlights

III. Functions And Roles of the Home-Based Supervisor
    A. Leadership Responsibilities within the Home-Based Option
    B. Direct Responsibility with Home Visitors
    C. Keeping it all Together
    D. Advocacy Within the Community

IV. Training
    A. Assessment of Training Needs
    B. Pre-Service Training for New Home Visitors
    C. In-Service Training.
    D. Training Resources for Home Visitors
    E. Training for Other Program Staff
    F. Orientation of Center-Based Parents
    G. Training for Home-Based Parents..
    H. Training for Policy Groups and Volunteers
    I. Training to Improve Supervisory Skills

V. Effective Supervision Strategies
    A. Management Issues in the Home-Based Option
    B. Supervision and Leadership Styles that Foster Home Visitor Competence
    C. Communication Strategies
    D. Sources of Support for the Home-Based Supervisor

Appendix

Bibliography

The Head Start home-based supervisor has the challenging responsibility of providing guidance, support, direction, and continuing staff development opportunities while striving to maintain and improve the quality of services to Head Start families and children enrolled in the home-based option. The home-based option offers unique opportunities for a richer appreciation of a young child's needs and the means to satisfy those needs within the child's primary environment -the home.

This guide is specifically designed to assist the home-based supervisor in carrying out her or his roles and responsibilities while supporting the home visitor, who is key to the implementation of the home-based option. This guide is one of several resources available to Head Start home-based options that provides essential information, support, and guidance for training.

The home-based supervisor must understand the needs and challenges that the home visitor faces; must have the experience to know when to encourage the home visitor to intervene, if necessary; and must be competent for the home-based option to run smoothly. This guide provides strategies for supporting the home visitor, outlines the roles of the supervisor, and describes the functions of the position. It is not intended, however, to serve as a how-to manual.

The purpose of this guide is to provide guidance and information to those persons designated as supervisor who have responsibilities for the day-to-day supervision of home visitors in a Head Start program. It will also be helpful to those implementing the home-based option to understand how this option fits within the Head Start program.

This guide may be used in the following ways:

• To provide information and guidance to supervisors of the home-based option;
• To enhance understanding of the home-based option by other Head Start staff, such as the director or component staff; and
• To assist those staff responsible for program planning in understanding the home-based option, especially issues related to supervision.

The home-based option is an approved method for the delivery of services to families and children enrolled in the Head Start program. Through the home-based option, families and children receive the same comprehensive services as those participating in the center-based option. Although both options must meet the Head Start Program Performance Standards, there is one major difference between them. The Head Start center-based program option focuses on the child in a classroom setting and the home-based option focuses on the family and child in a home setting.

The home visitor, critical to the success of the home-based option, helps parents provide the developmental activities and support services that Head Start children would receive in the center-based option.

The Head Start home-based option affords program staff an opportunity to work with individuals within a family context and in the home environment. This option enables home visitors to learn about the quality of life for families in the community served; to assess family strengths, interests, and needs; and to use this information for developing an individualized program with family members. The home-based option must provide comprehensive services in educationl child development, medical and dental health, nutrition, mental health, social services, and parent involvement. Agency component plans address how home visitors will use an integrated approach to provide these services. It is very important that the home visitor and family form a partnership.

A. DEFINITION OF HOME-BASED SERVICES

The intent of the home-based option is to provide comprehensive Head Start services to children and their families, primarily in the child's home, through intensive work with the child's parents and other family members. The parent is the primary factor in the growth and development of the child.

The home-based option services delivery includes:

• Providing one home visit per week per family (a minimum of 32 home visits per year) lasting for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours each.
• Providing, at a minimum, two group socialization activities per month for each child (a minimum of 16 group socializationactivities each year).
• Making up any planned home visits or scheduled group socialization activities that were canceled by the grantee or by program staff, when necessary to meet the minimums stated above. Medical or social service appointments may not replace home visits or scheduled group socialization activities.
• Allowing staff sufficient employed time to participate in pre-service training, to plan and set up the option at the start of the year, to close the option at the end of the year, to maintain records, and keep component and activity plans current and relevant. These activities should take place when no home visits or group socialization activities are planned.
• Maintaining an average caseload of 10 to 12 families per home visitor with a maximum of 12 families for any individual home visitor.
• Supervisors should have 10 to 12 home visitors for whom they are responsible.

Home visits must be conducted by trained home visitors with the content of the visit jointly planned by the home visitor and the parents. Home visitors must conduct the home visit with the participation of parents. Home visits may not be conducted by the home visitor with only babysitters or other temporary caregivers in attendance.

• The purpose of the home visit is to help parents enhance their parenting skills and assist them in the use of the home as the child's primary learning environment. The home visitor must work with parents to help them provide learning opportunities that further their child's growth and development.
• Home visits must, over the course of a month, contain elements of all Head Start program components. The home visitor is the person responsible for introducing, arranging, and/or providing Head Start services to the home-based parents.
• Supervisors and component staff support and assist the home visitor as needed to provide the Head Start services.

Group socialization activities must be focused on both parents and children. The home visitor may not conduct socialization activities with babysitters or other temporary caregivers. However, extended family members are encouraged to participate.

• The purpose of the socialization activities for the children is to emphasize peer group interaction through age-appropriate activities in a Head Start classroom, community facility, home, or on a field trip. The children are to be supervised by the home visitor with parents observing at times and actively participating at other times.
• These activities must be designed so that parents accompany their children to group socialization activities at least twice each month to observe, to participate as volunteers, or to engage in activities designed specifically for the parents.
• Grantees must follow the nutritional requirements specified in 45 CFR 1304.3-10(b) (1) and provide appropriate snacks and meals to the children during group socializa tion activities.

In addition to the above definitions, an understanding of the following resources will help staff and parents develop a quality home-based program option:

Family Needs Assessment:

The Family Needs Assessment (FNA) is developed by local agencies and is completed for each family by parents and home visitors. The FNA should identify family strengths, interests, and needs in all Head Start component areas. Normally parents and home visitors complete the FNA during the initial home visit and update the document throughout the program year. Updates are based on any new areas the family or home visitor may identify and agree on.

Family Action Plan:

The Family Action Plan (FAP) is developed by local agencies and is completed by the family and the home visitor. In this document the home visitor and parents discuss information from the Family Needs Assessments as well as screening and assessment from other component areas. Often the home visitor will also use information based on her/his observations or will help the family see connections between information from the various assessments; e.g., the need for dental services and the nutritional screening information. To develop the plan, the home visitor and the parents discuss overall needs and plan goals and objectives for the enrolled Head Start child as well as other family members. The FAP is developed early in the program year, but only after the family and the home visitor have had a chance to complete assessments. The plan is used as a guide for planning visits and is updated as needed throughout the program year.

Home Visit Weekly Plan:

The Home Visit Weekly Plan is designed at the local level and used by parents and home visitors to identify specific activities in which individuals will engage during and in between home visits. This plan is based on the goals and objectives of the FAP and includes information on the child's developmental profile and other information about the child and family members' strengths, interests, and needs. The Home Visit Weekly Plan is normally completed by parents and home visitors at the conclusion of each home visit to prepare for the upcoming week.

B. DEFINITION OF SUPERVISION IN THE HEAD START HOME- BASED OPTION

In the home-based program option, supervision can be defined as a relationship with another person which encourages professional growth. Supervision can also be defined as organized support to help improve performance. It is the mechanism that puts all the pieces together and ensures that everything runs well. A supervisor provides support, direction, positive reinforcement, and assistance. The supervisor should be available for the home visitor.

Many principles of effective supervision are the same regardless of the situation. However, the unique nature of the home-based option underlines the importance of supervision and has special implications where supervision is concerned. Activities included in the role of a home-based supervisor are leading, planning, implementing, administering, supervising staff, training parents and staff, and evaluating. These activities will be treated in detail later in this guide.

There are many activities that occur under the name of supervision, all of which should foster professional growth and improve performance. In order to realize these results, there must be a commonly held positive attitude toward supervision, and it is equally important that this common philosophy of supervision be shared by both supervisors and the people they supervise. When supervision is conducted in a positive or supportive manner, it promotes staff develop ment and program quality. When supervision is carried out in a negative, controlling, or punitive manner, program quality as well as staff morale are adversely affected.

C. IMPORTANCE OF SUPERVISION

One of the most important factors in the overall development and operation of an effective home-based option is supervision. No other factor is more critical at the beginning stages of operation as the consistency and quality of supervision of home-based staff. (See Appendix A, Sample Job Description -Home-Based Supervisor.)

It is important to remember that for most home visitors, home visiting will be a new role for which they may have had little initial training or experience. This fact, in addition to the nature of the home-based option, emphasizes the importance of supervision and leadership.

Adequate supervision is necessary for direction and training. Supervision provides support through positive reinforcement, training, feedback, new information, and evaluation. In addition, supervision encourages self-evaluation and professional growth.

As the definition implies, supervision is necessary to ensure that everything runs well, goals are met, and families receive the services the option is designed to deliver. Supervisors play a critical role in ensuring that the philosophy of the home-based option is consistent for all home visitors, program staff, and families.

D. UNIQUE SUPERVISION NEEDS AND ISSUES IN THE HOME- BASED OPTION

The delivery of Head Start services in the home environment is very different from the delivery of services in a classroom setting. Major differences are that the home becomes the primary learning center and the parent becomes the primary facilitator of learning. In the center, the focus is on the child in the classroom. The role of the home visitor is to facilitate and support the parent as the most important influence on the child's education and development.

Inherent in these differences are unique issues which supervision must address. These include:

· Home visitors spend much of their time working in the field and often feel isolated and deprived of the support and camaraderie which center-based staff may enjoy. Supervisors must work to provide these missing elements or ensure that other members of the staff provide them.

· As a result of the frequent contact with families and the relationships that develop, home visitors may become deeply involved with families. This involvement can produce stress and symptoms of burnout. Supervisors must make many forms of support available so that home visitors know how and when to make referrals and provide appropriate services to families to avoid stress and burnout.

· Supervisors need to make sure home visitors are able to provide the necessary services and support to families without making them dependent upon the home visitor or the Head Start program.

· Supervisors must know the territory in which the home visitors work. They must be aware of the safety issues, weather, and community problems which will impact on staff they supervise. Supervisors should work with community agencies such as police or sheriffs departments to plan safety and emergency training for staff. Supervisors must be able to discuss with individual families safety issues that could come up.

· Training is an important issue. Skills needed to work with families, especially adults, require specific training. Supervisors must make sure that each home visitorreceives the necessary training in the specific skills that are required for effective home visiting. Often those recruited for home visitor positions have not had the experience nor training to work with adults in a home environment. They may have been reassigned from a center-based option and their training, therefore, will have a different focus. (See Chapter IV, Training.)

· Grantees that implement the center-based and the home-based option must have strong leadership and supervision skills so that persons working in both options understand and appreciate the other's differences and similarities and how both options fit within the Head Start philosophy and guidelines. The supervisor needs to make sure accurate information is available and understood by all.

· Supervision of home-based staff is difficult because of the very nature of the option. Supervisors must make sure that staff at all levels understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the option.

Supervision of home visitors is a challenging and important task. The recommended ratio of supervisors to home visitors is 1 to 10-12. This ratio is based on the supervisor's full- time participation in the home-based program. The number of home visitors that can be adequately supervised by a supervisor depends to a certain extent on the amount of experience of the home visitor with newer home visitors needing more supervision.

F. ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS

In addition to the requirements of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the following materials, published by the Head Start Bureau, provide specific information for implementing the home-based option:

• The Head Start Home Visitor Handbook
• A Guide for Operating the Head Start Home-Based Program Option
• A Guide for Education Goordinators in Head Start
• "Partnership with Parents" video and "Users Guide for a Partnership with Parents"
• "Head Start at Home" orientation video

Research has shown the importance of family and parental involvement in the positive development of children. Research also substantiates the effectiveness of home visiting programs. The following statements highlight some of these research findings:

• Parent-child options benefit the target child and younger siblings.
• Parent-child options result in substantial gains in IQ which are still evident three to four years after termination of the program.
• Weekly home visits focusing on the parent have as much impact on a preschool child as attending a Head Start center every day.
• Parents show significant gains in quality and quantity of parent-child interactions, teaching skills, use of educational materials in the home, and community involvement.

The home-based supervisor has multiple functions and roles within the Head Start program. Many factors influence these functions and roles. These factors will need to be considered in planning a new program or in strengthening an existing one to make sure that the job description for the home-based option is clear and addresses the needs of the program. These factors are:

• The number of home visitors to be supervised and the location of these home visitors;
• The management structure of the program;
• Availability and skill levels of other component staff;
• The kinds of services and supports available from other community agencies and the familiarity of these agencies with the home-based option; and
• The supervisor's background, experience, and skills.

Grantees contemplating a new option or evaluating an existing one should consider all the functions and roles as necessary in the implementation of a strong Head Start home-based option.

A. LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE HOME BASED OPTION

Each home-based option is part of an overall Head Start grantee program. Although there are some grantees in which all of the services are delivered through the home-based option, many
programs implement both center-based and home-based options. Often the center-based option is larger and has been in existence for a longertime. Because the home-based option is frequently not as visible, the supervisor has an important leadership role to play in ensuring that services are well integrated and well represented within the total program. Often the home-based supervisor is the holder of the home-based culture and philosophy in the program and is the in- house home-based option expert.

Sometimes a program will have both a home-based coordinator and a home-based supervisor so that coordination, planning functions, and direct supervision responsibilities with the home visitors are divided. However, when there is no home-based coordinator, the home- based supervisor will need to work more closely and more frequently with other staff to ensure that the home-based point of view is represented.

The following are major areas of leadership responsibility:
 

· PROGRAM PLANNING  · BUDGET INPUT · STAFF SELECTION AND ORIENTATION  · TRAINING  · COORDINATION OF SERVICES

· FACILITATING PROGRAM ACTIVITIES   · RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES   · AREAS OF CONCERN   · POLICY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT   · SPECIAL APPROACHES

I. Program Planning and Home-Based Advocacy

The supervisor is a representative of and advocate for the home-based needs and philosophy. The supervisor needs to avoid isolation and be involved with the overall program management team. The supervisor should be involved in overall agency program development, planning, and review of materials to ensure that the home-based point of view is represented and understood. For example:

• Do program materials such as brochures, parent education materials, handbooks, etc., explain both options accurately?
• Are there specific materials, policies, and procedures for such things as missed visits, socialization, parent/home visitor agreements, cancellations, or managing discipline issues on home visits?
• Do component, budget, and training plans address the needs and operations of the home-based option in specific and clear ways?
• Are resources allocated fairly?
• Are component coordinators and other staff involved in providing training and direct services to the home-based option in an active manner?
• Do training sessions address the needs of both center- and home-based staff?
• Are home-based parents adequately represented on the Policy Council?
• Are home-based staff recognized for their special skills in working with families?
• Are these skills utilized in the rest of the program?
• Are home-based program activities clearly and accurately reflected in the grantee's component plans?
• Are home-based option activities listed on master calendars and other program materials?

The home-based supervisor also needs to serve as an advocate and watchdog for the budget. Some unique areas of a budget for the home-based option include mileage costs, training, resource materials, office furnishings, supplies, and food costs. Home visitors do not need the extensive teaching materials that classrooms need since they are working with materials already in the home. But they will need extra resources for supporting home learning. Supervisory needs and costs also need to be considered.

3. Involvement in Staff Selection and Orientation

Proper staff selection and recruitment is important to an effective home-based option. The supervisor should assist the committee in hiring staff by making sure that the selection criteria, job description, and interview questions are those which will help select the most effective home visitors. (See Appendix B, Job Description Home Visitor, and Appendix C, Home Visitor Interview Format.)

4. Overall Program Training

Another aspect of the leadership role of the supervisor is to ensure that all home- based staff receive a thorough training and orientation of the home-based philosophy and operation. (See Chapter IV, Training.)

5. Coordination of Services and Requirements from all Components

To represent the home-based needs and philosophy effectively, the supervisor should meet with other supervisors and component coordinators about the issues and concerns regarding the home-based option. Clarification of guidelines and performance standards for the home-based option may be needed to make sure that the option is operating in an optimal manner.

The important aspect of this issue of home-based representation is that the home- based option must not be isolated. It must be integrated into the program as a whole. This enriches the entire program.

6. Involvement with Other Component Staff in Training, Consulting, Providing Resources, and Facilitating Program Activities

In many programs, the home-based option is already well integrated and there are established channels to make sure that the option is understood and managed. In some programs where this understanding is not as strong, the home-based supervisor may need to be more assertive in order to set up regular consultation and involvement with other coordinators.

Home-based staff may have skills in working with parents. This expertise can be used to train new teachers or enrich the work of supervisors who are developing new approaches to family programs. Center-based teachers may be a resource for home visitors who are developing effective group socializations, even when the activities are not conducted in a Head Start classroom.

During the home-based assessment process, home visitors will benefit from meeting with component coordinators. Coordinators must allocate adequate time for home-based staff. In certain cases, consultants or community resources will need to be integrated in order to supplement the support needs of home visitors if coordinators do not have the time.

As these channels of involvement and communication are developed, it is important that they be written into the operational plans and procedure manuals to ensure that they become a part of overall program operations.

7. Effective Family Recruitment Strategies

All staff who help recruit families must have an adequate understanding of the Head Start program options so that they can explain each one fairly and accurately. Recruitment materials and approaches should be set up so that the home and center options are presented as different but equally important ways of delivering Head Start services. The home-based supervisor should be sure of the ability of the recruitment staff to accurately describe both program options in enthusiastic and positive ways. Recruitment role-playing is often used to provide skill training for staff recruiters as well as to monitor their understanding of the option.

Recruiters should be clear on the criteria for the final eligibility of families and family choice for each option.

Questions to be considered are:

• Can the staff explain both options clearly?
• Are explanations free of bias towards one option or another?
• Can the staff respond to questions in a positive, non-defensive manner?

Following are a number of frequently observed problem areas in managing the Head Start home-based option:

OBSERVATION: Lack of consideration for the needs of home-based staff in information collection, assessment, and use of materials designed primarily for center- based options.

Corrective Strategies: Coordinators should discuss any needs for child and family information collection with the home-based supervisor well in advance. The impact on home visits should be considered, and supervisors should be closely involved in the planning and selection of materials, such as questionnaires. Supervisors should also be familiar with guidance and performance standards so that they can indicate situations in which performance standards can be met in a variety of ways.

OBSERVATION: Home visitors who get directives, data requirements, etc., from other program staff.

Corrective Strategies: Supervisors must meet with other component staff as needed to discuss requirements rather than having coordinators directly relay information to home visitors. Home visitors can often get fragmented information if too many people give them directives. This approach also prevents duplication of services or of documentation.

OBSERVATION: Isolation of the home-based option.

Corrective Strategies: The supervisor should plan opportunities for staff from different options to interact around common tasks in training sessions and during socialization activities.

OBSERVATION: Feelings of resentment between home-based and center-based staff. For example, sharing a classroom can be a problem area.

Corrective Strategies: Plan meetings where home-based and center-based staff can meet and discuss feelings and problems openly. Inequities in salary should be reviewed and corrected. Career development plans should address the needs of home visitors to advance their training and career potential in the same way as center-based staff.

9. Policy Council Involvement

The home-based supervisor needs to ensure that home-based parents are adequately represented on the Policy Council. The representation should be propor tional to the number of children served in each option. For example, in a program where there are 200 home-based children and 100 center-based children, the Policy Council would be made up of two-thirds home-based parentrepresentatives and one-third center- based parent representatives.

For many parents, as well as professionals, center-based programming is the expected delivery for Head Start. Because of this, the home-based supervisor should work closely with the Policy Council to assure that the Council has a good working knowledge of the home-based option. Parents and community members on the Policy Council need this kind of guidance so that the unique needs of the home-based option are considered when making decisions. Supervisor involvement is also important in supporting the Head Start home-based parents on the Policy Council.

10. Special Approaches for Supervisors of Both Home and Center Staff

Frequently. supervisors will have responsibilities in both the home-based and center-based operations. In this instance, supervisors must schedule their time carefully so that there is adequate time for each option. If insufficient time is allotted, concerns should be discussed with management and other planning groups.

To determine if the time is adequate, the supervisor should consult the supervi sion requirements in this manual and also refer to A Guide for Education Coordinators in Head Start. If a supervisor is working in both options, it is important to have adequate training or experience in each option.

B. DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY WITH HOME VISITORS

The home-based supervisor must work closely with home visitors. Areas of responsibility include:
 

· TRAINING · SUPPORT · LOGISTICS · FEEDBACK

· DOCUMENTATION  · EVALUATION  · PROBLEMS

1. Training of Home Visitors

Identification of training needs for new and continuing staff is a primary responsibility. (See Chapter IV, Training.) Assessment is done through interviews with new staff, observation of regular visits and socialization groups, and needs as perceived by the home visitors themselves. When Child Development Associate (CDA) training is involved, it may also provide valuable information about staff strengths and needs.

Activities in pre-service and in-service training are important for the supervisor. Taking the time to conduct adequate orientation and training for new staff is critical in the home-based option. New staff should start work at least two to three weeks before the actual direct services begin.

Creating an atmosphere in which staff feel comfortable talking about training needs is important. Supervisors can create this atmosphere by raising questions such as:

• What do you feel you do best and could share with another staff person ?
• What is the hardest part of your job?
• Which situations have puzzled you during a hom.e visit?

Home visitors need ongoing support from their supervisor and from individual and group sessions. Support is essential since the job of the home visitor is often isolated and difficult. The situations faced are often complex and unpredictable and can change rapidly. Support encompasses several aspects - recognition, encouragement, problem solving, resources, boundaries, and cultural sensitivity.

Recognition: The home visitor's work usually requires facing some difficult situations.

For example, a home visitor who is helping a family with a job loss must face the despair of the family, her/his own worries aboutjob loss and security, as well as how to properly support the family while keeping the focus on the needs of the children. The supervisor's role is to recognize the complexity of the situation and help by discussing the approach that the home visitor takes.

Encouragement: The home visitor's work is very demanding and she or he may become discouraged. As a result, it is important that the home visitor be encouraged in all endeavors, whether there are positive results or not. It is often difficult to see changes from the home visitor's efforts until weeks, months, or perhaps years later. A home visitor who receives support and encouragement in turn offers support and encourage ment to the families.

Problem Solving: Supervisors may provide support by modeling problem solving approaches.

For example, at times it is more supportive to use a problem-solving approach such as the brainstorming of possible solutions rather than telling a home visitor directly what to do. Try asking, "Tell me more about what you think is going on? Have you tried pulling the grandmother into the conversation?" (In group situations it is helpful to have other home visitors also offer solutions.)

Resources: Resources can include anything from the name of the key intake person at the homeless shelter to the name of the volunteer group that provides free magic shows for children's groups. A resource can be a picture book about divorce or a no-fail recipe for play dough. Home visitors need special resources and referrals for the variety of situations they will have to address with families.

Gathering and maintaining resources and contacts at key agencies is an important part of the supervisor's role. It is important that home-based supervisors work with coordinators from all components to avoid duplication of effort. Providing resources for home visitors is a process which involves talking about needs, identifying resources, and discussing how follow-up can occur.

As home visitors' skills increase, their own resources and knowledge of appropriate resources increases. Sharing resources during one-on-one staff time and group time will further develop knowledge and skill. Programs may want to develop a central file or computerized system for resources and names of key people. However, all home visitors should be encouraged to develop their own personal workable systems for their own resources.

Boundaries: Supervision is often necessary to help home visitors see the parameters, or boundaries, of their roles. Even skilled home visitors will occasionally need this help.

For example, home visitors may overdo their roles with families in crisis and without realizing it create dependencies that are unhealthy for the families. These kinds of situations are very complex and there are no standard rules on how to handle them. However, discussion and review of past experiences with families are used to help the home visitors see the boundaries in order to be effective. The supervisor must stay aware of when home visitors create boundaries that are too rigid to accommodate unusual or dynamic family situations.

Cultural Sensitivity: Home visitors often work with families whose culture or values may be different from their own. Often the supervisor will need to help the home visitor think about her/his role as a respectful facilitator within the home setting and help the home visitor discuss issues that may be perplexing or confusing. Discussion of the home visitor's own culture and values as well as cultural backgrounds about other staff and families is an important part of supervision and training.

3. Logistics of Providing Support Activities

a. Individual and Group Meetings

It is essential that the supervisor have regular consultation times. The supervisor should be available by phone or in person for at least one hour each day to talk to staff. For example, a supervisor might make the time from 8:30 to 9:30 or 3:30 to 4:30 available several days a week. It is important that no other meetings be scheduled during this time and that all staff know that this time is available for consultation.

b. Develop Strong Support Networks

c. Secrets of Success for the Home-Based Option Supervisor

(2) Modeling Positive Approaches. There will always be more work than can be done. Supervisors should learn to plan carefully, set priorities, and work smart. These approaches will model good work practices for staff.

(3) Asking for Help. Supervisors need someone to consult with about their work responsibilities. This may be someone within the overall Head Start program or an outside resource who is familiar with home-based services.

(4) Keeping the Right Perspective. The home-based option works, but results may take time and positive results may not always be immediately obvious. Supervisors should help home visitors see that this is not a short-range process and that their efforts will pay off in the long
run.

(5) Conducting Effective Meetings. One of the most demanding things for a supervisor to do is to make meetings and training sessions useful and supportive for staff. Following are some points to consider in designing a successful meeting:

• Have an agenda. If it is a staff meeting with announcements and information, the agenda should be sent out early. Staff can read the announcements ahead of time so that they have a chance to think about questions. if necessary, agendas can be handwritten to save time. There should be time for discussions and open-ended problem solving. Even an agenda for one-on-one meetings is useful.
• Efficient meetings should include limiting wandering discussions, re-focusing on the topic, keeping notes, and using questions to make sure everyone stays involved. Sometimes it helps if tasks such as note taking and time keeping are delegated.
• The group leader in a meeting should:
• Encourage participation and explain what is to be achieved in the group process.
• Bring up and clarify important information.
• Remind staff of guidelines, timelines, etc.
• Encourage expressions of feelings and resentments.
• Recognize tensions between group members and deal with them.
• Keep communication lines open.
• Summarize what happened in the meeting with followup minutes.
• Evaluate how the meeting proceeded, how the group worked together, what was accomplished, etc.

Supervision is an ongoing process. Since the terms "supervision" and "evaluation" are sometimes used in similar ways, it is important to distinguish between the ongoing process of supervision and the once-a-year, formal, written evaluation. Both are important.

Supervision is continuous throughout the year and incorporates adequate feedback and support. To meet Head Start performance requirements, supervisors should make a minimum of three home observational visits with each home visitor during the course of the year. Three visits are a baseline, with more visits needed when staff is new and being trained, when the home visitor is having performance problems, or when there is a particularly difficult situation in a family.

In order to supervise a home-based option effectively, it is necessary for the supervisor to review written plans and home contact records on a regular basis and to accompany home visitors on home visits. Care should be taken to inform parents about supervisor visits in parent orientations and on first visits so that supervised visits will be seen as part of normal program operations.

a. Home Visit Observation and Feedback Guidelines

(1) The supervisor checks with the home visitor and together they decide which families to visit. Discussion between the supervisor and the home visitor about areas of concern, either in the home visitor's approach with the family or in the family needs assessment, help make this determination. The family's approval is obtained before the visit.

(2) The supervisor reviews assessment materials such as the Family Needs Assessment and other screening and assessments and the Family Action Plans, and notes areas of concern.

(3) The home visit is observed. The supervisor uses a simple check sheet to note program requirements and expectations about a home visit. (See Appendix D, Home Visit Observation Guide.) While observing, the supervisor should look for home visit content and approaches which are related to the areas of assessed need for the child and family. The content of visits should come from these assessments.

Some questions to ask while observing are:

• Is assessment of all Head Start component areas done with inputfrom the family and consultation with appropriate staff?
• Are Family Action Plans (see Appendix 6 for a sample form) developedfrom all assessments and discussions with the family about their needs and concerns?
• Do home visit plans (contact sheets) reflect assessments and Family Action Plans?
• Are updates of Family Action Plans based on what happens during visits and on ongoing assessment?
• Does the home visitor adjust plans to accommodate a special event or family need? Are these changes noted?

b. Parent and Child Group Activities Guidelines

Supervision of group activities for parents and children are an important part of a supervisor's role. This role involves:

• Planning the socialization activity with the home visitor.
• Promoting the home visitor's efforts to involve parents in group socializations.
• Observing or participating in the activity.
• Taking responsibility for ensuring that the facilities and setup are safe.
• Evaluating how it went and what is needed for improvement.

However, the following basic principles apply to all group socializations:

• The purposes of the group socialization activity are for the children to learn to get along in groups and for the parents to be able to observe other children and network with each other.
• Home visitors who have educational backgrounds may find the group experience unlike regular classroom experience. Generally, it is advisable to plan activities that are open-ended and that promote cooperation and socialization, such as playing with blocks, water play, outdoor play, and dramatic play. Home visitors who have no experience teaching young children may need special assistance from the supervisor in learning how to run a group, plan group activities, and handle groups of young children. (See Appendix E, Home-Based Group Socialization Checklist, for more specifics.)
• Safety rules for group socialization and field trips must be followed carefully. The supervisor should be sure that all facilities and equipment are safe. if not, the supervisor should work with staff to remedy the situations. Check local program requirements.
• The roles of the parents during child socialization experiences need to be carefully planned. There are many possibilities for group activities and the parents need to be involved in the planning. Some parents may want to plan and run a group activity as part of the socialization, such as making snacks or play dough. Some parents may want to be involved with a group of children and others may want to meet with the parents for activities such as parent support groups. The home visitor should plan with the parent, discussing possibilities and preferences. The home visitor should be encouraged to plan with the parent and help the parent think through what is needed for the activity.
• Siblings are a special challenge for the home-based option during socialization. Since the emphasis is family focused, the home visitor should make a special effort to accommodate all family members. However, the home visitor should use individual judgment and consider available resources and space. The safety, health, and goals of the group need to be considered.

Assessment and planning materials, such as the Family Needs Assess ment, Family Action Plan, and home visit planning forms, comprise the operational framework for the home-based option. These materials must reflect a family-focused approach to Head Start services in all component areas. Often it will be necessary for the supervisor to work with the different component coordinators to develop appropriate assessment materials. It is important that the assessment materials be geared for a home rather than a center approach.

The materials must be as user friendly as possible since the home visitors work closely with the parents when using them. Materials should be avallable in other languages when the parents are non-English speaking. (Sample materials are included in Appendices F, G, and H. Staff can also network with other home-based options to obtain other materials or materials in other languages.)

Assessments in all areas of health, nutrition, social services, parent involvement, and education must be completed with the family. The assessments are then discussed and an overall Family Action Plan is developed with the family. Individualized home visit plans are then developed from this plan and documented on the home contact form.

Minimal elements of the home-based assessment and planning process include:
 

Assessments +

Parent Concerns  and Interests +

Program Guidlines and Staff Observations =

Family Action Plans

(1) The Assessment and Planning Process. Parent involvement is the key in this area and the supervisor must make sure home visitors ask questions of the parents in skillful ways in order to get useful information. Open-ended questions and observations are useful.

The supervisor should make sure that the home visitor carefully assesses any parent interests and needs that relate to program goals and that they are priorities in the family/child action plans. These needs are sometimes different than what the home visitor might assess. For example, a parent might identify knowing the alphabet as a first goal for a child. The supervisor must make sure the home visitor can take this goal and expand the idea into a broader view of academic success that includes aspects the parent may not have considered, such as overall language development, good self-esteem, curiosity, and problem solving skills.

Often the assessments reveal complicated situations. It is important that the supervisor work with component coordinators to schedule staffing so home visitors can get help in locating resources and develop ing approaches to working with families and children.

(2) Changing Needs. The weekly home visit plan must reflect the assessed needs of the family and child. These needs are likely to change as the family begins to work more confidently with the home visitor. All home visit plan forms should contain a section for documenting new information, particularly if that information might change the content of the home visits. For example, if a parent gets into a job training program the focus of the visits might switch to day care issues.

The supervisor must review the assessment materials, the family child action plan, and the weekly home contact forms regularly in order to be able to tell if the home visitor is adequately addressing the requirement for individualized approaches.

Home visit content, as well as delivery of the content, should vary from family to family. In all cases, content must be based on assessed needs and planned with the parents. Home visitors will need to introduce content areas to meet performance standards. These areas should be linked to family needs.

(3) Component Integration. All Head Start component areas must be included in the home-based option in a manner that is based on individual family needs. Each component is not necessarily covered on each visit, but over a period of a month each component area should be included in a way that is useful to the family and related to the family's interests and concerns. Supervisors should avoid approaches which require that a home visit cover all component areas during one visit. This could lead to an overwhelming amount of work and result in a failure to work with the parent in an in-depth way.

There are also program performance standards and local goals which mandate that certain areas be included. For example, in the area of health, teaching about positive health habits and dental care is a requirement. However, local Head Start programs might have well- developed dental health prevention programs which include things such as fluoride treatments and teaching of proper toothbrushing techniques. These program activities can and should be integrated into ongoing home visits in a carefully planned and coordinated manner.

In some families certain components are handled by reinforcing and expanding what the family is already doing, while in other families a focus will be on one particular area of concern. For example, in a family where there are good nutrition practices, the home visitor might work with the parents to locate more economical sources of food. In a family where the children are underweight and the meals are inadequate, a different and more intensive approach is needed. The degree and frequency to which any component is addressed depends on the needs of the family.

Component integration happens in planned activities as well as in incidental ways. For example, a planned excursion to the library could integrate both awareness of community resources (social services), language development (education), and working with the parent to involve a child in the selection of books (parental involvement). During this same activity, the home visitor might incidentally show the parent some positive ways to manage the children on the bus (mental health) and point out the schedule of the local immunization clinic posted in the library (health). This mix of planned and incidental component integra tion should be observable to the supervisor or other observers.

The supervisor helps home visitors individualize and integrate components into the home visits and socializations in several ways. First, the supervisor helps the home visitor develop skills so that ongoing needs assessment and planning which integrate component areas are done with the families. The supervisor also assists the home visitor by discussing family needs and strategies for addressing these areas. In doing this, the supervisor helps the home visitor see how needs and concerns are related to each other.

The supervisor also works with the home visitor to build integrated approaches which cut across component lines. For example, in a family where the children have serious dental problems, the home visitor might integrate nutrition and dental health activities into a game which also develops categorization or matching skills. These activities should be continued on subsequent visits.

The supervisor monitors component integration by reviewing assessment and planning materials to make sure that the content of the plans and visits includes an assessment of family needs and areas of special interest. Also, when the supervisor accompanies the home visitor on visits, areas of special interest should be identified where component content might be reinforced or strengthened.

The supervisor has an important role to play in working with other component staff to ensure that resources and training are used to address the needs of the home-based staff and families.

Supervisors need to guarantee that home visitors have the same knowledge about component content as center teachers. Home visitors also need very specific skills on how to work with parents to integrate component content in the home. Additionally, component staff conducting training must understand that home visitors need to know how to work with parents around home learning environments, how to develop materials with families, and how to use community resources.

(4) Observing Assessment Activities. During home visits, it is important that the supervisor notice how the home visitor carries out the assessment and planning processes, as well as implementation. Some questions to be asked are:

• How is the original plan used?
• How is a home contact form used as a tool to facilitate the parent's involvement and learning?
• Are questions used tactfully to find out all the needs in an in-depth way?

Forms need to be monitored to make sure they are completed on an ongoing, timely basis. Home visitors often dislike record keeping and feel that it takes away from their time with families. However, they need to understand the critical nature of records and the importance of completing the forms as thoroughly and as accurately as possible.

Records are necessary to verify that services were provided, that the center is complying with Head Start guidelines, and that they are effective.

(6) Parent Involvement in Planning. Home visitors should be trained to complete home visit forms with the families on visits. This assures that the families are involved in the planning for the following week. Parents should be left with a copy of each plan.

Whenever possible, the plans should be written by the parents. This should be viewed as a developmental process with parents gaining confidence and skills at their own pace. Many parents are reluctant to do this level of planning in the beginning. Some less complex and less detailed techniques to encourage parent involvement are:

• Initially offering two choices of activities and assuring parents that, since they know their child, they would know what activities might be preferred.
• Brainstorming with parents to arrive at additional ideas to choose from.
• Encouraging parents to talk about what their child has enjoyed in the past, then building from this.
• Using assessment results to help parents focus on activities to plan.
• Having parents give feedback on activities.
• Commenting on parent successes.

(8) Record Storage. All confidential materials should be stored in locked files in the office. Files should never be left in cars. If files or assessment materials are needed on visits, the home visitors should keep the documents with them.

5. Other Documentation

The supervisor should work closely with the other component coordinators to make all necessary documentation in the files. Foreach family there should be a log sheet in the file to record phone calls, agency contacts and other contacts, referrals, and followups.

The gathering of enrollment information, documenting of income, and other requirements, should be planned carefully with other component coordinators to avoid unnecessary record keeping.

6. Carrying Out the Personnel Evaluation

In addition to ongoing supervision and feedback, an annual performance and review evaluation is completed by the supervisor and the home visitor. Usually this occurs once a year, but local personnel practices should be consulted for specifics in this area. Some basics of evaluation are:

a. The supervisor reviews notes from home visits, gets feedback from observing group socializations, and talks with parents.

b. The home visitor fills out a self-evaluation. (This form should be very specific about the performance expectations and job duties for the home visitor. See Appendix I, Home Visitor Self Evaluation/Personnel Evaluation.)

c. The supervisor fills out an evaluation on the home visitor using the same evaluation form. (Appendix I, Home Visitor Self Evaluation/Personnel
Evaluation.)

d. The supervisor and home visitor compare their evaluations and negotiate individual goals for the next year, including any necessary corrective steps. The planning should include any specific help that the supervisor or other staff will provide. The evaluation forms and agreed upon goals
should be signed and reviewed regularly.

e. Use formal evaluation strategies. Because the supervisor works closely with the home visitor, formal evaluation is often difficult. But, a few points to remember are:

• One home visitor should not be compared with another home visitor. Each individual's growth should be considered and how that individual measures up to the requirements of the job. The supervisor should note how the home visitor has changed over time, especially since the last review or progress check.
• Personal bias should be avoided. All areas of performance should be looked at objectively. An area should not be skipped over because of difficulties with the home visitor or because the home visitor seems competent. Excellence or performance in one area should not be assumed to spill over to another.
• Personal worries, needs, and tendencies must not come into the evaluation. Supervisors might sometimes rate higher if they feel a need for approval from their staff or if they are worried that an objective evaluation might make somebody quit, hurt the home visitor's feelings, or reflect on the performance of the supervisor.

The following problems are common in the home-based option. They are generally misunderstood areas that supervisors should monitor closely during ongoing supervision as well as in personnel evaluations. (See Appendix J, Common Pitfalls of the Home Visitor - An Assessment.) The problems are also common areas of misunder standing for other program staff:

a. Focusing on the Child Instead of the Parent-and-Child Relationship

OBSERVATION: Home-based staff directing their energies toward working directly with the child rather than working with the parent and reaching the child through the parent. In observing this the supervisor should note: 1) visits in which the parent seems uninvolved and the home visitor seems over-involved with the child; 2) presentations and discussions which seem to focus most on the child's needs rather than on the parent/child interaction or family's needs; and 3) written work and plans which are focused heavily on academic skills and developmental steps without detailing how the family is involved in these steps.

Corrective Strategies: The philosophy and research basis of the home- based option should be reviewed with staff. Ways in which the parent could be more involved should be brainstormed. Staff should observe a home visitor or review a training video in which the focus is on the child and parent together. Specific suggestions should be provided to the home visitor, such as having the parent give the materials to the child rather than the home visitor. The home visitor could explain the purpose of the activity to the parent and give the parent a specific role in the activity.

b. Over-Involvement with the Adults or Over-Dependency by the Parents

OBSERVATION: Home visits in which the content is mostly crisis oriented. In supervisory sessions, the home visitor may seem overly involved with the family. The supervisor should watch for inappropriate approaches such as providing respite care for the parent, weekend visits, giving out a home phone number, or even home visits that extend beyond the normal time.

Corrective Strategies: This behavior can be modified by validating the home visitor's desire to help, then re-emphasizing the needs and difficulties of working with families with multiple problems. A home visitor may need help establishing boundaries and clarifying involvement with the family. Approaches to making referrals may be needed and should be talked through carefully and written down for reference. It may help to describe concrete strategies on how to plan the visit so there is time to address family issues and include the children in an activity. For example, in the beginning the visitor might say, "Among other things today, I'd like for us to have time for activities with your child and also have a good half hour to talk about your difficulty with the housing authority. Which should we do first?" This provides the parents with an empowering choice and still allows the home visitor to have some control over the agenda.

c. Blaming and Criticizing Parents

OBSERVATION: Showing anger or blame toward parents for failing to do things such as following up on appointments, engaging in activities with the children, limiting their children's TV watching, or leaving an abusive relation ship.

Corrective Strategies: First, the home visitor's hard work should be recognized. Support and encouragement should be provided to help the home visitor see recent successes, such as completed immunizations for all children