Implementing New or Expanded Early Head Start after Converting Slots

This brief highlights select findings from the Conversion of Enrollment Slots from Head Start to Early Head Start (HS2EHS) Case Studies. The brief describes the extent to which grant recipients successfully deliver Early Head Start services following conversion, the facilitators and barriers to implementation, and the resources and supports available to support implementation. 

Participating programs reported providing high-quality services specific to the needs of infants, toddlers, and their families. For example, participating programs noted the following:

• Providing screenings and assessments designed for infants and toddlers;
• Tailoring nutrition and health practices to children’s age and developmental needs;
• Renovating or structuring classrooms and other facilities to meet the needs of infants and toddlers;
• Tailoring family engagement activities to meet the needs of families with infants and toddlers; and
• Using curricula and assessments that are developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers.

Participants reported that the following facilitated successful implementation of high-quality Early Head Start services:

• Existing systems and procedures that could be refined, as needed (e.g., existing transition policies and procedures);
• High community demand for infant and toddler services;
• Previous experience with Early Head Start;
• Good working relationships among staff at the program; and
• Stable leadership

Common barriers included challenges preparing facilities to meet Early Head Start requirements and difficulties hiring and retaining qualified staff.

Purposive sampling identified six Head Start programs that had converted enrollment slots from Head Start to Early Head Start between April and October 2021. The research team conducted virtual site visits with these programs between November 2022 and March 2023. Participants included Head Start program administrators, finance staff, members of governance committees, and family-facing staff, as well as community partners, Office of Head Start Regional Office staff, training and technical assistance providers, and experts with knowledge of the local early care and education context. The research team also gathered relevant information for each program from the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) and the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES), including conversion applications and community assessments. Participating programs provided additional documentation, such as conversion implementation plans. The research team conducted unit and cross-case analysis to develop a picture of each program’s conversion and draw out a cross-site narrative about conversion of enrollment slots.

Diane Schilder, Catherine Kuhns, Kate Stepleton, and Carly Morrison (2024). OPRE Report # 2024-310. Implementing New or Expanded Early Head Start Services After Converting Slots Findings from the HS2EHS Case Studies, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services.