It seems that life is at full speed for not only myself but the families enrolled in the Head Start program as well. It is getting close to Kindergarten registration for the four and five year olds in my classroom and the families are excited and apprehensive as well. I did ask to meet with a few of the families (during seperate times) to discuss a few questions I had. I have been so lucky in that all the families are incredibly supportive of my goal that is about to be complete, they say they see the need for trained preschool teachers and only hope that I stay with the Head Start program once I complete my degree; which I have informed them that is my plan.
When I met with the families I had some questions about their prior knowledge of Head Start or a preschool program in general. We live in a small rural community that does not even have a day care center in our town, the closest centers are located about 10 miles away and they care for children from all over our county that covers approximately a 25 miles radius. Many of the families enrolled in my program do not consistant transportation so taking their children to day care is not an option. I was surprised to learn that many of the families knew very little about the Head Start program, only that it was for "poor" families; this is how they described themselves. I found that somewhat disturbing as well, it was as if they felt their child didn't deserve better than the "poor people" program. As an employee I know we are so much more than that but for them they did not know better. As part of our recruitment plan my supervisor is trying to find ways to promote our program and so I asked the parents how they came to be enrolled in the program. Most answered that they received our flyer in the mail, a few said that the Family Service Worker came to their door, and a few were referred to us through the Deparment of Social Services. It was interesting to see that none of them answered they had heard about the program through past parents. I do know that before I was employed with this particular site there had been issues with staff members and CPS reports being made on them. The few things that have been shared with me about what families did know had to do with these negative reports which occurred almost ten years ago. Having to defend our program based off past experiences is difficult; especially since I am not from this community and am considered an outsider.
What I wanted the families to feel confident in doing is supporting the improvements that have been made in staffing and qualifitications. I asked them to please share the good things that our program has done for them personally with other families that have children that may qualify for our program. They are our connection to the community, they have the first hand knowledge on what happens in their child's life when they are with us as well as what they are bringing home. We spoke about various ways that the parents could help in advocating for two full classrooms in my center for next school year; we lost one of them last year and I fear that closing our doors may be more of an option when I am only running 20 students compared to our other sites that have 40 or more. The families agree that the need is in our community and want to help! They are going to become part of our recruitement plan; hanging flyers, passing out applications to their friends, and writing letters to the editor of the local newspaper. They also see that by becoming more involved in the activities at our center they are showing how important engagement truly is. I have 2 parents that are going to come in a plan at least four more field trips for the remainder of the school year for us. I also have a group of parents that will work with our Family Service Worker in holding a fundraiser, yet to be determined, to raise money for the field trips as well as for the annual End of Year Celebration.
I don't know if it is the deadline of the school year ending or the successes that they are seeing in their children that have them more willing to participate now; but I am not going to ignore it!
Ms. Julie, that is so sad that the parents think of themselves as poor and they need to use the poor peoples day care. Yeah for the fundraisers. It will take leg work but get the word out about the great strides you are makeing at the daycare, set up tables at craft fairs and health fairs, stand at the school and hand out fliers,or ask the principal to send the fliers home with the children, post signs at the park district. Get ready for a new school year. We have been talking transitions but we need to wait for decisions here with Chicago public schools. At the local school council meeting they said they dont have a start date. If we dont have a start date to move pre-K in to kindergarten then we can not move the 3 to the 4 so we are all on hold.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are working on promoting your program in many positive ways. People do base their opinion of things based on the past. As child care and preschool providers, we are mandated reporters. We often have to report things that we don't want to but it isn't our choice. We are required by law to report signs of abuse or neglect. We are not the ones who determine if there is actually abuse. That is the job of the investigator. It is one of the many challenges for child care and preschool providers. It is difficult to have relationships with families when there is abuse or neglect. I always remind myself that it isn't my job to determine if there is abuse or neglect, only the responsibility to report it.
It sounds like you have great community support. I also live and work in a very rural area. Transportation is always an issue. We don't have taxis or other public transportation so when a car breaks down the children don't get to day care or doctor appointments. We have so many needs and too few resources.
I hope you are successful at keeping your program running. It sounds like it is essential for your community. Best of luck to you and all you do!
What ways are you going to promote your program other than sending a flyer? Are you on the internet? Do you do preschool screenings? Do you have any responsibility in trying to on board more famlies? What have you learned from your experiences about how to get more families involved in Head Start?
DeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for always having a positive attitude and making a difference at the Head Start where you work. It is often hard to find people who remain so positive after dealing with the typical struggles that we face in early childhood. Many people do not understand the importance of a positive early childhood experience and you not only do but you are also educating parents about the importance of this. I am glad that you have parents that appreciate and support your hard work on finishing your degree. Good luck in your future! Jennifer
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI also am employed at a Head Start program. It is nice to hear about other Head Start programs and staff. It sounds like you have a great attitude and respect for your job. It takes caring people to make positive changes in the lives of our children and families. Thanks for your positive post and best wishes in the future as you continue to serve children and families.
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Julie,
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great work with Head Start. It is a blessing that one of our First Ladies saw the need and implemented that program in the 60's. It's nice to see a woman that can see the need to advocate for it years later.