2015-2020

The American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES) provides descriptive, nationally representative information on the:
- Characteristics, experiences, development, strengths and needs of Region XI Head Start children and families;
- Cultural and linguistic experiences of Native children and families in Region XI Head Start; and
- Characteristics of the Region XI Head Start programs and staff who serve them.
Region XI serves children and families in Head Start programs operated by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) tribes, including AIAN and non-AIAN children and families. Region XI programs incorporate their unique history, community traditions, and beliefs into their operations and integrate Native language and culture into the delivery of services to children and families.
To date, we have collected data during the 2015-2016 school year (AIAN FACES 2015) and the 2019-2020 school year (AIAN FACES 2019).
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), and Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) planned these studies to be responsive to the needs of Region XI Head Start children, families, and programs. The studies are informed by principles of tribal participatory research. We collaborated with the AIAN FACES Workgroup on all aspects of the studies to ensure they address research priorities in Region XI programs and to make sure the research protocols align with the cultural and contextual values of AIAN communities. The AIAN FACES Workgroup consists of (PDF):
- Region XI Head Start directors
- Child development researchers with expertise in tribal communities
- OHS and OPRE staff
The design, engagement with programs, and dissemination efforts for AIAN FACES reflect advice from members of the AIAN FACES Workgroup. The members of the Workgroup are committed to addressing cultural issues in how the studies are carried out and how findings are shared with the Head Start community and broader field.
Procedures for tribal review and approval of the research are followed in all communities that take part in AIAN FACES. Information about these studies has been shared broadly with tribal Head Start programs and tribal leaders via:
- OHS tribal consultations ;
- nationally-broadcast webinars (the links to these are available below under the ’Webinar’ tab);
- National Indian Head Start Directors Association annual conferences ;
- the National Research Conference on Early Childhood; and
- the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Council .
A first-person account of Workgroup members’ perspectives was published on the steps they took to prepare for AIAN FACES is in the American Journal of Community Psychology. In addition, the Workgroup created a series of short videos to share the perspectives and experiences of those who are involved in and use AIAN FACES data.
AIAN FACES 2015
The first AIAN FACES study was fielded in Fall of 2015 and Spring 2016. Data were collected from 21 Region XI Head Start programs, 36 centers, 73 classrooms, and 1,049 children and their parents.
An observational measure of culture and language in Native classrooms did not exist in 2015. To fill this gap, the study team collaborated with Workgroup members to develop an observational measure of Native culture and language in the classroom. The Native Culture & Language in the Classroom Observation (NCLCO) was designed to record the types of culturally significant materials that surround children in Region XI Head Start programs and classrooms and capture information on the materials’ use in the classroom.
AIAN FACES 2019
AIAN FACES was fielded again in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. For this data collection, the measures that were used to collect data for AIAN FACES 2015 were refined based on suggestions from the AIAN FACES Workgroup, analysis and review of the 2015 data collected, and ACF priorities.
Data were collected from 22 Region XI Head Start programs, 40 centers, 85 classrooms, and 720 parents and their children. The Spring data was being collected when the COVID-19 pandemic started. The study team added items (PDF) (PDF) to the survey for center and program directors to understand how programs were adjusting their services and communication with both families and staff as a response to COVID-19 and their plans to provide services during the summer.
This study builds on AIAN FACES 2019. The goal was to learn about how Region XI children, families, and Head Start staff were faring in the year following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We collected information on children, families, and staff from 18 of the programs that participated in AIAN FACES 2019. Due to low participation and response rates, the data are not nationally representative. Rather, they provide a window into the experiences of a sample of Region XI Head Start staff and families who were able to respond to surveys during the pandemic.
AIAN FACES Data is Available for Research Use
Data from AIAN FACES 2015 and AIAN FACES 2019 are archived at the Child and Family Data Archive and available to researchers from institutions of higher education and research organizations who have met the requirements to access the data.
To learn more about the data and how to access this restricted data set, please visit the Child and Family Data Archive (Visit disclaimer page) or email AIAN_OPRE_Data@acf.hhs.gov. The AIAN Data Committee will review all applications for the data. This committee includes tribal Head Start directors and researchers with experience doing research in tribal communities.
Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility Training
The Cross-Cultural Understanding and Cultural Humility training was designed to ensure that all AIAN FACES study staff were rigorously trained on how to work respectfully with Region XI Head Start programs and AIAN communities.
The training is a result of years of close collaboration with the AIAN FACES Workgroup, as well as the lessons learned from the two studies. The training reflects an ongoing commitment to fostering culturally responsive and respectful research. Although AIAN FACES focuses on research with a specific population (Region XI Head Start programs and the children and families in their communities), this training material may be used as a resource for broader early childhood research efforts with AIAN programs and communities.
AIAN FACES 2015, AIAN FACES 2019, and the 2021-2022 Study were conducted through contracts with Mathematica.
Point(s) of contact: Laura Hoard, Alysia Blandon, and Nina Philipsen
Information on the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) can be found here.
This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under the title Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) .
Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB #0970-0151. Related materials are available on at the FACES Information collection page on RegInfo.gov .Visit disclaimer page. The most currently approved documents are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent end date. To access the information collections (e.g. interviews, surveys, protocols), click on Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents.