1. Virginia Head Start/Early Head Start
Head Start Collaboration Office
Presented to Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development Team
Aleta Lawson, M.S. - Director

2. Virginia Early Head Start/Head Start Programs
Established in 1965, Head Start/Early Head Start promotes school readiness for children in low-income families by offering educational, nutritional, health, social, and other services.
Early Head Start (EHS) serves pregnant women and children birth to 36 months
Head Start (HS) serves children 3 to 5 years old/kindergarten entry

3. CHILDREN’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IS SUPPORTED IN A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH A VARIETY OF SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE:
EARLY LEARNING – School Readiness and beyond fostered through individualized learning experiences, addressing all domains of development, including social/emotional well-being, language and literacy, and concept development.
HEALTH – Each child’s perceptual, motor, and physical development is supported to permit them to fully explore and function in their environment. All children receive health and developmental screenings, nutritious meals, oral health and mental health support. Programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure children receive needed services.
FAMILY WELL-BEING – Parents and families are supported in achieving their own goals, including housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families around children’s learning and development.

4. 2016-2017 Program Information Report VIRGINIA 52 Head Start Grantees
21 EHS Grantees – only one solely EHS, others EHS and HS
9 Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership grant recipients serving an additional 548 children in partnership with private child care providers
2 Migrant Seasonal (MSHS) Grantees – serve children birth to five, located on the Eastern Shore, operate for six weeks during growing/harvest seasons

5. Agency/Grantee Types 18 Community Action Agencies
16 Public School Systems
11 Private/Public Non-Profit (Non-CAA)
5 Government Agency (Non-CAA)
2 Migrant Seasonal

6. TOTAL CUMULATIVE ENROLLMENT (# SERVED) – 17,671
TOTAL FUNDED ENROLLMENT (SLOTS) – 15,242
HS Children – 14,103
EHS Children – 3,467
MSHS – 101
Pregnant Women 46 Slots 296 Served

7. 2016-2017 CENTERS Staff Funding
Number of Centers – 483
Number of Classrooms – 1,026
Total Staff – 3,722
FY16 Estimated Funding $129,421,763

8. Head Start Collaboration Office
Primary Role
Facilitate collaboration with state agencies and entities in high quality early childhood systems building and serve as a liaison between those agencies and the local Head Start programs.

9. Collaborative Partnerships Intended to:
Assist in building early childhood systems
Provide access to comprehensive services and support for all low- income children
Encourage widespread collaboration between Head Start and other appropriate programs, services, and initiatives
Augment Head Start's capacity to be a partner in state initiatives on behalf of children and their families
Facilitate the involvement of Head Start in state policies, plans, processes, and decisions affecting target populations and other low- income families

10. Head Start Collaboration Office PRIORITIES
Partner with state child care systems emphasizing the Early Head Start – Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnership Initiatives
Work with state efforts to collect data regarding early childhood programs and child outcomes
Support the expansion and access of high quality, workforce, and career development opportunities for staff
Collaboration with State Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS)
Work with state school systems to ensure continuity between Head Start and Kindergarten Entrance Assessment (KEA)
Any additional regional priorities

11. WHAT DOES SHE REALLY DO? Virginia Head Start Association Partnership
Annual Training Conference – 500 people
Directors Council – 100 people
Health and Family Institute – 150 people
Infant and Toddler Summit – 150 people
Training Initiatives
Bridges Out of Poverty – 700+ Head Start Staff trained
Trauma Informed Care & Resilience – 300 Head Start Staff trained thus far, 4 VA Regional Staff Events planned, 4 Regional Training-of-Trainer Events planned, 50 Parents trained, Regional Parent events planned

12. What does she really do? Cont…
Early Childhood Leaders Collaborative Institutes – Partnership with VDOE ECSE & VPI
3 Institutes held throughout Virginia – ECSE Administrators, VPI Administrators, Head Start Disabilities Specialists – 400+ participants trained
School Readiness Committee Governance Committee Workgroup – served as panel member addressing Virginia’s Current Early Childhood Education System
Preventing Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood – participated in task force to develop state guidelines for this. Also participated in Early Childhood Mental Health Virginia development of survey for classroom teachers; facilitated distribution to HS teachers.
Soho Center Partnership – Since 2012, 208,000 books donated to each classroom (1,000+) in the local Head Start programs. Each shipment represents approximately $11,000 in HSCO funds leveraged for $300,000 - $400,000 worth of books.

13. What does she really do? Cont…
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS –
Early Childhood Mental Health Virginia Advisory Board
Virginia Quality
Virginia ECSE Network
Early Impact Virginia
Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development Team/Governance Committee/Inclusive Practices Committee
Virginia WIC Medical Advisory Board
Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention
Project HOPE – VA Education for Homeless Youth & Children Advisory Board
Voices for Virginia’s Children Early Childhood Network
Infant Toddler Specialist Network Leadership Council
Virginia Community Colleges Early Childhood Faculty Peer Group

14. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/professional-development
Early childhood learning and knowledge center (eclkc) Professional development resources

15. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-TO-GO
ALL RESOURCES IN PD-TO-GO SECTION PROVIDE:
Intensive, ongoing, active learning experiences
Specific, practice-focused content
Self-assessment and feedback
Alignment with instructional goals, learning standards, and curriculum materials
Ready-to-use resources for use with large audiences, small groups, and individuals.
Self-instructional learning modules designed for individuals may also be used by a leader for small group learning experiences.
The materials reflect evidence-based practices identified with the PD-to-Go Selection Criteria.
PD-to-Go Selection Criteria  Explore Resources

16. DIRECTOR – HEAD START COLLABORATION OFFICE
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!
ALETA LAWSON M.S.
DIRECTOR – HEAD START COLLABORATION OFFICE