Skip to main content

Cross-Systems Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Young Children and Their Families Series: Head Start and Child Care for Children in Child Welfare

April 20 2022
2:00 PM EST

Register

Approximately 40 percent of all children entering foster care are age five and under. Addressing the needs of these children and their families is critical to helping child welfare systems and early childhood systems achieve better outcomes.

The advantages of Head Start participation for young children and their parents has long been demonstrated. High quality child care supports brain development, advances school readiness, and develops social and emotional skills that benefit children through their lives. Case workers often encounter barriers to enrollment and retention in Head Start and high quality child care, for children in foster care. What are those barriers? What can be done to alleviate those barriers? What is being done at the state level to increase enrollment? How can federal policy support greater access to these ECE programs for foster children? How can the workforce in both of these programs be trained and supported to respond better to children who may present with trauma symptoms and challenging behavior?

Presenters:

  • Tommy Sheridan, Deputy Director, National Head Start Association
  • Susan Savage, Director of Research at the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)
  • Andria Zaverl, Research Manager at Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)

Explore More

From Barriers to Opportunity: Confronting Systemic Barriers to Early Childhood and Poverty-Reduction Programs

Report December 12, 2024

This report from EdTrust-New York highlights a crisis in childcare availability, with more than 60% of New York classified as a childcare desert. Recent improvements to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) have not significantly increased accessibility, as families still encounter complex application processes and stringent eligibility requirements. Many parents struggle to find available slots or are unaware of available programs altogether.