Introduction
Research Questions
- How do MSHS programs assess community needs broadly? How do programs assess needs related to the age mix of children they are prepared to serve?
- What changes in community needs are MSHS programs experiencing?
- How do MSHS programs adjust to meet shifting community needs, including regarding the age mix of the children they are prepared to serve?
Like all Head Start programs, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs are designed to provide services tailored to meet community needs and are required to complete a community assessment at least once during their five-year grant period. The community assessment allows MSHS programs to identify community needs, strengths, and gaps in services. Annual updates to the community assessment reflect any significant changes.
Purpose
This brief highlights qualitative research findings describing how a sample of MSHS programs assess community needs, how community needs among this sample changed over time, and how staff at these programs tailored services to meet the shifting needs of their communities. The brief describes challenges and facilitators these programs faced when assessing community needs and adjusting services to meet those needs.
Key Findings and Highlights
Study participants reported that programs use a variety of data sources to understand the needs of the families they serve. They categorized data in two ways: whether the data were formal (i.e., information about a specific population gathered through systematic and structured data collection) or informal (i.e., information gathered through less structured, conversational, or observational methods) and whether the data were internal to the program versus external.
From these data sources, study participants noted some factors change regularly, within a program year and from year to year, including enrollment numbers, age mix of children served, agricultural workers’ schedules, the number of migrant families compared with seasonal families, and enrolled families’ unmet needs.
Participants shared that they are used to constant change and can make some types of adjustments quickly, such as changing schedules to align with growing seasons and agricultural work schedules, identifying or developing new community partnerships based on enrolled families’ specific needs, and altering classrooms to serve children of different age groups.
Participants reported that longer-term trends helped inform strategic planning decisions and more resource-intensive program adjustments.
Methods
The research team conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of staff from four programs, regional staff from the Office of Head Start, training and technical assistance providers, and other leaders who work closely with MSHS programs. The research team aimed to identify a sample that reflected variation in geography and size, including in terms of the number of enrolled children and the size of the service area, among other characteristics. From each of the four programs, the team reviewed program-level documents and interviewed one director and another program decisionmaker who played a role in developing the community assessment. The team held virtual one-on-one interviews between August and October 2024 and conducted qualitative coding and analysis to identify key themes and trends across interviews.
Citation
Carly Morrison, Helena Wippick, Olivia Mirek, and Kia Heryadi (2025). “Identifying and Responding to Community Needs in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start,” OPRE Report # 2025-081. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services.