Head Start and Early Head Start: An
Introduction
KAITLIN FERRICK, JD
MPHI WEBCAST
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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Michigan Public Health institute Webcast
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Kaitlin Ferrick
Head Start State Collaboration Office Director
Office of Great Start, Michigan Department of
Education
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Michigan Public Health institute Webcast
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OFFICE OF GREAT START (OGS)
DHS
Head Start
Collaboration
Office
MDE
DHS
Office of Early
Childhood
Education and
Family Services
Office of Child
Development &
Care
MDE Office
of Great
Start
 Executive Order 2011-08 consolidated early childhood
programs and resources under a single agency in an effort to:
• Maximize child outcomes
• Reduce duplication and administrative overhead
• Reinvest resources into quality improvement and
service delivery
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OGS OUTCOMES
• Children born healthy
• Children healthy, thriving, and developmentally on
track from birth to third grade
• Children developmentally ready to succeed in school
at the time of school entry
• Children prepared to succeed in fourth grade and
beyond by reading proficiently by the end of third
grade
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HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START
• Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children
from low-income families through agencies in their local
community.
• Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the
comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5, in
centers, child care partner locations, and in their own homes.
• Head Start services include early learning, health, and family
well-being.
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HEAD START
• Head Start is administered by the Office of Head Start, an
Office of the Administration for Children and Families
• Funding flows directly from the federal level to the local
programs providing services
• Head Start services children ages 3 to Kindergarten entry,
while Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants
and toddlers up to age 3.
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HEAD START ELIGIBILITY
A child and family may be eligible for Head Start if:
• Their family income is at or below 100% of
the Federal Poverty Line
• They receive public assistance, such as SSI or
TANF
• They are homeless
• The child is in foster care
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HEAD START PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS
• Comprehensive Services: programs offer families
continuous services they need in areas such as health,
dental, nutrition and family counseling
• Family engagement: emphasis on including families in their
child’s development and education
• Diverse model options: center-based, home-based and
family child care models allow for flexibility
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HEAD START IN MICHIGAN
• Head Start cumulative enrollment for the 2013-14
Program year was 41, 783
• 35,369 children were served in Head Start
• 5,888 children were served in Early Head Start
• 473 pregnant women also received services as
enrollees
• Over 40 grantees served children across Michigan,
including in programs targeting Tribal and Migrant
populations
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HEAD START STATE COLLABORATION
OFFICE
Kaitlin Ferrick, Director
[email protected]
Office of Great Start, MDE
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Michigan Public Health institute Webcast
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Revised HSSCO Priorities
1. Partner with State child care systems emphasizing
the EHS-CC Partnership Initiatives
• Previously “Child Care and Early Childhood Systems”
2. Work with state efforts to collect data regarding
early childhood programs and child outcomes
• Previously not included as a Priority
3. Support the expansion and access of high quality,
workforce and career development opportunities for
Staff
• Previously “Professional Development”
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Revised HSSCO Priorities
4. Collaborate with QRIS
• Previously “Child Care and Early Childhood Systems”
5. Work with state school systems to ensure continuity
• Previously “School Transitions”
6. Regional/State Priorities
• Previously “Regional Office Priorities”
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HEAD START AND WIC
2012 Memorandum of Understanding
• Signed by Head Start Collaboration Office and State WIC
Office
• Provides for data sharing and coordination of services to
best meet the needs of children and families
• Available at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/WIC_Head_
Start_4-2012_384159_7.pdf
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HEAD START AND WIC
Connecticut WIC-Head Start Partnership
WIC and Head Start have partnered first with UConn and more
recently with University of St. Joseph to better coordinate WIC
and Head Start resources to create unified messaging for
families and to align resources to better meet the needs of
children at nutritional risk in our state. With grants from USDA,
parents and program staff were surveyed to learn about their
needs. Interventions include increased communication among
partners, alignment of practices and co-sponsoring and colocation of activities and services for families. These ongoing
efforts have been highlighted at professional meetings and in
publications.
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GREAT START READINESS
PROGRAM (GSRP)
• GSRP is Michigan’s state-funded preschool program for atrisk four-year-olds
• Intermediate School Districts are the grantees for GSRP
and receive funding from the Michigan Department of
Education
• Income eligibility for GSRP is 250% of the Federal Poverty
Line or Below
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GSRP EXPANSION
• GSRP received $130 million in increased funding, which
allowed over 37,000 four-year-olds to receive services in
2014-15
• ISDs partner with community-based organizations, including
child care and Head Start, to allow for parent choice
• All GSRP programs must meet rigorous Early Childhood
Standards of Quality and possess a 3-star or above rating in
Great Start to Quality
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QUESTIONS?
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CMDHD &
Great Start
Kelly Conley, MS, RD, CLE
WIC Coordinator and Personal Health Director
+
CMDHD Collaboration with
Great Start Collaborative
CMDHD PARTICIPANTS
Kelly Conley, WIC Coordinator
Executive Board Member representing Clare & Gladwin Counties
Dawn Humphrey, Supervisor
Community Board Member representing Clare County
Jaime Kimmerer, Supervisor
Community Board Member representing Gladwin County
Quarterly meetings are held at the Clare Gladwin RESD
With this collaborative we
advertise WIC services for our
communities
CMDHD District Wide
Isabella
Clare
Arenac
Gladwin
Roscommon
Osceola
Osceola - Marion
Head Start
 Federally funded
 Administered by U.S.
Department of Health
and Human Services
Great Start Readiness
 State funded
 Administered by Michigan
Department of Education
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU)
The MOU is a written agreement between two
programs which ensures coordination of services and
confidentiality of data. WIC entered into a MOU with
the Head Start program in 2012.
WIC currently has a MOU with the Head Start program
only; therefore WIC data cannot be shared with the
Great Start Readiness program without a formal written
request and permission granted by the Michigan WIC
program.