Funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, this five-year study aimed to build the knowledge base around conversion of enrollment slots from Head Start to Early Head Start. The project examined how and why Head Start grantees prepare for and engage in enrollment conversions. Likewise, it aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to the provision of high-quality Early Head Start services that meet community needs. The project included expert consultations, stakeholder engagement, and an assessment of the knowledge base involving key informant interviews and a scan of available information. A multi-site case study, co-led by MEF, explored the conversion process from the perspective of the HS/EHS program. The project also used secondary data analysis to answer questions about Head Start grant recipients that convert enrollment slots
The project included several sub-studies on related topics. MEF led a sub-study examining how Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs assess the needs of their communities to inform programming, including decisions about the age mix of children they serve. The sub-study involved interviewing federal staff, grant recipients, and technical assistance providers in addition to reviewing community assessments.
MEF also contributed to the three other sub studies: an exploration of using the National Survey of Early Care and Education for insights into Head Start programs; a learning agenda on early care and education apprenticeships; and a nationally representative survey, the Survey of Staff Recruitment, Training, and Professional Development in Early Head Start, on successes and challenges Early Head Start programs face in hiring and training staff. MEF is a subcontractor to the Urban Institute on this project.
Publications Overview
MEF produced a series of products for this project. MEF’s work on conversions of enrollment slots resulted in a multi-case study report documenting the conversion process and four research briefs on 1) assessing the need to convert, 2) developing an application, 3) preparing to deliver new or expanded services, and 4) implementing new or expanded services.
We produced a brief describing how a sample of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs assessed 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. We also contributed to a learning agenda and an annotated bibliography on early care and education apprenticeships, and a brief with considerations for researchers interested in using the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) to answer questions related to Head Start.