Need To Convince Your Local Head Start?

Download a printable version of the full user guide here.

Talking Points for Community Colleges

First, learn more about your local Head Start, including reviewing their annual report, which is likely posted on their website. If your local Head Start program isn’t immediately on-board or has some reservations about partnering with you on this project, below are some benefits you can share that may help them understand the value.

Benefits for the Head Start Program:

• Free (or Discounted) Space
  Federal dollars are only allowed to account for 80% of the Head Start program’s budget. The other 20% must be made up of outside contributions, such as donations of time, space, and money. Head Start programs may call this “in-kind” or “non-federal share.” The free space your campus is offering should contribute significantly to this annual requirement. It could even free up additional funds if they no longer have to pay rent elsewhere, helping their overall budget. Please note that the value of the space must be determined by a certified real property appraiser to count toward the in-kind contribution.

• Improved Attendance
  Being located on campus should help increase attendance among students whose parents are enrolled on campus, as both parent and child can travel to campus together each day. Since many community colleges are located close to public transit stops, easy transportation may also help families and boost attendance for children.

• Workforce Recruitment
  Head Start programs may struggle with recruiting qualified staff, and this partnership can support them in two different ways. First, if your campus offers an early childhood education and/or special education degree program, you can establish a direct workforce pipeline for students straight into the Head Start center. These same students could also get real-world experience by completing a practicum working in the Head Start center. Additionally, many students on your campus (and maybe even their family members) need a full- or part-time job. They could be an important pool to draw from when it comes to bus drivers, food service prep, custodial or janitorial, secretarial, and other staff positions.

• In-Kind Contributions
  In addition to the value of the physical space your campus can contribute, there is the potential for significant contribution of time and services from on-campus degree and training programs. Students in a variety of specialties, from nursing and dental hygiene to food service and even construction/Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), could gain valuable hands-on experience and provide helpful services (or even help meet an important regulation), all of which count towards a program’s in-kind requirement.

Benefits for Head Start Children and Parents:

• Better Access
  Transportation logistics are easier when parents and children are going to the same place every day (time, traffic, and distance are all relevant here).

• Parent Success
  Head Start provides support for parents working their way through a degree program. Once their children are enrolled in Head Start, parents will receive the full family support required by the program.

• Modeling
  For parents not in school yet, taking their child to a center on a campus could motivate them to enroll. Parents have easy access to visit and observe their child in class. They can also observe teacher-child interactions as a model for their own parenting skill development.

• Meeting Family Partnership Goals (FPA)
  Head Start participation requires the development of Family Partnership Goals and supports parents who set these goals to meet them. This goal setting and the impact of coming to campus every day could encourage Head Start parents to enroll at the community college.

• Expanded Access to Community Resources
  All Head Start programs must establish ongoing collaborative relationships and partnerships with community organizations to facilitate access to community services that are responsive to children’s and families’ needs. These include but are not limited to: health care providers, individuals, and agencies which provide services to children with disabilities and their families, family preservation and support services and child protective services, domestic violence prevention, and support providers and housing assistance agencies.