Working at the State Level to Enhance the Educational Opportunities of Young Homeless Children

1. Working at the State Level to Enhance the Educational Opportunities of Young Homeless Children Grace Whitney, PhD, MPA Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration McKinney-Vento State Coordinators’ 2005 Annual Meeting Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, Arlington, VA Tuesday, May 17, 2005

2. Lessons Learned from Head Start Demonstration ProjectsSource: USDHHS, ACF, HSB, Serving Homeless Families (1999) • Homeless children often are overlooked • Best model is one that matches community needs • Comprehensive services – support and nurturance for both parents and children • Transportation services are essential • Families require extended-day, full-year children’s programming • Head Start has a important role to play in serving homeless families but Head Start cannot “do it all”

3. State Level Activities that can Strengthen Collaboration with Head Start • Identify opportunities for systematic conversation • Share Information and Resources • Commit to cross-training events • Work together on joint planning

4. Finding Regular Time to Connect • Head Start State Collaboration – State Early Learning Council • Head Start Association and Family Service Managers Meetings • Coalitions to End Homelessness, Domestic Violence • Homeless Policy Academy Team and Interagency Council on Homelessness

5. Finding the Details of Head Start Resources and Information • Programs and Contact Lists • Head Start, Early Head Start • Conferences, Meetings, Publications • State and regional events • Program Data • Head Start PIR • Program self-assessments

6. Finding Opportunities to Cross Train • McKinney-Vento training for Head Start, School Districts, Shelters • Training Conference /cross-training, co-training • Early Childhood Training

7. Highlighting Needs through Shared Planning • Head Start Collaboration & McKinney-Vento state plans • Proposal Reading for McKinney-Vento • Planning time built into cross-training/co-training events • Jointly funded scans

8. Challenges Ahead Political climate of Head Start reauthorization Outreach and priority selection Enrollment and attendance issues Transportation

9. Accessing State & Other Funded Knowing Your ECE Landscape (Handout) • Child Care • Subsidized Child Care and Child Care Subsidies • Pre-kindergarten/School Readiness • IDEA • 619 Preschool Special Education and Part C • ESEA - Title I • Private Sector/Philanthropy • United Way’s Success by Six • Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R)

10. State Policy and Legislation • State pre-kindergarten legislation • State Plans • Child Care Plan • Maternal & Child Health Plan/ECCS Initiative • Administrative Rules • State Child Care Regulations

11. Result: Greater Visibility of Young Children who are Homeless • Bringing comprehensive services to children and families who need them • Creating forums for working through barriers to service • Including shelters, homeless infrastructure in the early childhood community • Insuring better health and school readiness of low-income children

12. Preschool Participation • Only15% of preschool children identified as homeless are enrolled in preschool programs, compared to 57% of low-income children. • In Connecticut, 85% of children in affluent communities enter kindergarten having had a preschool experience. Source: US Department of Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth Report to Congress (2000); National Center for Education Statistics, National household Education Survey (1999). Low-income was defined as families with an annual income of $10,000 or less; Connecticut State Board of Education, Closing the Achievement Gap, Removing Barriers to Preschool in Connecticut (November 2003).

13. The World of Young Children Today • Stakes have never been higher for young children than they are today • State early learning guidelines from infancy • Focus has shifted squarely on academic achievement and success in school • Early childhood initiatives continue to expand with the goals of access for all preschool children and closing the “achievement gap” • Most children who enter school behind stay behind

14. Please consider setting this goal: In five years the needs of families with young children experiencing homelessness will be fully integrated into the early care and education systems and structures in their communities, and all families will be receiving the services and supports necessary for their children to enter kindergarten healthy and ready for success