Orienting Head Start Staff
One of the lessons learned along the way was that efforts to orient Head Start staff to operating the program outside of a Head Start site should have started much earlier in the process and happened in multiple ways. Change is difficult and it was especially difficult for the staff, especially those who had been working in the program a long time. The Child Care Partnership Specialist attended the delegate Site Leader’s meetings regularly and periodically attended the Family Service Worker staff meetings to give updates on the process and answer questions. She and the Project Director and one of the partner center director’s did a session that all staff attended at the annual pre-service training day. A handout of frequently asked questions was prepared.
Another event that gave staff exposure to the partners was called the Child Care Crawl. Staff from all Head Start sites were invited, particularly the Site Leaders and Family Service Workers. Grantee staff members were also invited as well as the delegate specialists. They were divided into four teams and carpooled to timed visits of each of the four centers. At each site the staff members who were involved in the partnerships as well as an Implementation Team Member acted as liaisons between staff and visitors. Guests were given a tour of the center, heard something of the center’s history and philosophy and were able to ask questions. This helped create a tie between the Head Start and child care centers and made it easier for the Family Service Workers to refer parents to the sites.
Documents for you to use:
Another event that gave staff exposure to the partners was called the Child Care Crawl. Staff from all Head Start sites were invited, particularly the Site Leaders and Family Service Workers. Grantee staff members were also invited as well as the delegate specialists. They were divided into four teams and carpooled to timed visits of each of the four centers. At each site the staff members who were involved in the partnerships as well as an Implementation Team Member acted as liaisons between staff and visitors. Guests were given a tour of the center, heard something of the center’s history and philosophy and were able to ask questions. This helped create a tie between the Head Start and child care centers and made it easier for the Family Service Workers to refer parents to the sites.
Documents for you to use:
