Early Head Start (EHS) staff must have the necessary competencies and qualifications to ensure high-quality service delivery tailored to the unique needs of pregnant women, infants, and toddlers and delivered in accordance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS). Yet little is known about the way grant recipients search for and hire new staff and support the training, educational advancement, and professional development of existing staff.
The Survey of Staff Recruitment, Training, and Professional Development in Early Head Start is a nationally representative survey that will describe EHS grant recipients’ strategies, successes, and challenges to ensure staff meet or exceed the HSPPS qualification and competency requirements. The survey will include questions asking EHS grant recipients how they search for and hire qualified staff and support staff in their ongoing career development.
The project addresses the following research questions:
- How do EHS grant recipients search for and hire teaching and home visiting staff with the qualifications and competencies necessary to deliver high-quality EHS services to infants, toddlers, and their families? What strategies or approaches have been most successful? What challenges do grant recipients face?
- How do EHS grant recipients support existing teaching and home visiting staff in improving their qualifications and competencies? What strategies or approaches have been most successful? What challenges do grant recipients face?
- How have any challenges searching for, hiring, and training teaching and home visiting staff impacted EHS program operations?
The project is conducted by the Urban Institute in partnership with MEF Associates.
Point(s) of contact: Krystal Bichay-Awadalla, Jenessa Malin, and Tutrang Nguyen.