Head Start
Collaboration
The New York State Head Start Collaboration Office facilitates partnerships between Head Start agencies and other state entities that provide services to benefit low-income children and their families.
Head Start
Eligibility
AGE REQUIREMENTS
- Early Head Start, a child must be an infant or a toddler younger than three years old.
- Head Start, a child must: Be at least three years old or, turn three years old by the date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community in which the Head Start program is located; and be no older than the age required to attend school.
- Migrant or Seasonal Head Start, a child must be younger than compulsory school ageHealth Department.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- The family’s income is equal to or below the poverty line for family size; Or,
- The family is eligible for or, in the absence of child care, would be potentially eligible for public assistance; including TANF child-only payments, or the family receives SNAP; or,
- The child is homeless, as defined in part 1305; or,
- The child is in foster care.
Farm to Head Start
Farm to Head Start provides children in early childhood settings increased access to healthy, regionally produced foods through local purchasing, opportunities for hands-on gardening experience and nutrition, food, and agricultural education. Download this scripted “Farm to Head Start” story with the little one in your life to help them understand the benefits of locally grown fruits and veggies. Print this story and fill in the blanks to make it their own!
Head Start
Projects
& Activities
The Head Start program offers a wide array of projects and activities designed to support early childhood education, family engagement, health care, and community services.
Oral Health Otter
Welcome to the New York State Oral Health Project, with “Ollie” the Otter! This web resource has lots of information and resources on the importance of strong oral health practices for babies and young children.
Find resources for families, early care and education teachers and professionals, health care professionals, and others caring for young children. All resources have been collected and carefully reviewed by the New York State Council on Children and Families, the Schuyler Center for Analysis, and Advocacy, and the University of Rochester Eastman School of Dentistry.
Resources for Parents
Resources and fun tips on oral health for pregnant women and the parents and caregivers of infants and young children (up to age 5). Topics include oral health care, dental visits, fluoride, and nutrition.
Pregnancy:
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- Oral Health care guidelines during pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Oral Health
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s Oral Health Page for Pregnant Women.
Birth – 3 Years:
- Oral Health: CDC main page on oral health
Birth – 5 Years:
- Children’s Oral Health Overview (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Healthy Children by American Academy of Pediatrics
- America’s Pediatric Dentists: Resources for Parents
- America’s Pediatric Dentists: Mouth Monster Hub
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Consumer
- Head Start ECLKC
- KidsHealth: Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy
- KidsHealth: Fluoride
- Ask the Dentist – Fluoride for Kids & Cavities: The Myths & the Science [Parent’s Guide]
- Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
- Benefits and Risks of SDF [Silver Diamine Fluoride]
- Community Water Fluoridation (CDC)
Resources for Teachers
Resources to help staff learn about oral health for infants and young children. Learn more about how to support young children’s healthy oral habits.
Birth – 3 Years
- Oral Health
CDC main page on oral health.
Birth – 5 Years:
- American Academy of Pediatrics Oral Health – Patient Care
The AAP works to improve children’s oral health through communication and collaboration between medical and dental homes and to make pediatricians and other health professionals an essential part of the oral health team. Review the resources and guidance on this page for more information on improving the oral health of children. - American Academy of Pediatric Dentists Resources for Parents
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentists Mouth Monster Hub
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Consumer
- Smiles for Life
Educational resources to promote and support the integration of oral health and primary care. - Brushing Teeth at the Classroom Table
This Brush Up on Oral Health tip sheet is all about toothbrushing in a Head Start classroom. - Children’s Oral Health Basics (CDC)
Basic information for parents and caregivers to take care of their babies and children’s teeth. - Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Information on Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and oral health.
Resources for Health Providers
Resources for doctors, dentists, nurses, and other health care providers to support the oral health of their pregnant patients and infants and young children (pregnancy to age 5).
Pregnancy – Maternal and Child Oral Health:
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- Oral Health care guidelines during pregnancy
These guidelines are useful for all health care professionals who are dealing with pregnant women.
Birth – 3 Years:
- Oral Health
CDC main page on oral health.
Birth – 5 Years:
- American Academy of Pediatrics Oral Health – Patient Care
The AAP works to improve children’s oral health through communication and collaboration between medical and dental homes and to make pediatricians and other health professionals an essential part of the oral health team. Review the resources and guidance on this page for more information on improving the oral health of children. - American Academy of Pediatric Dentists Mouth Monster Hub
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Consumer
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Open Wide
This curriculum offers early childhood professionals information to help them prevent tooth decay, which still afflicts many children, especially children from families with low incomes, children from certain racial and ethnic groups, and children with special health care needs. The modules present professionals with information about tooth decay, risk factors, and prevention; explain how to perform an oral health risk assessment and screening; and highlight anticipatory guidance to share with parents. - National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Brush up on Oral Health
Head Start staff can use this series of tip sheets to support the oral health of children and pregnant people enrolled in Head Start programs and their families. The tip sheets include up-to-date practices and practical tips to promote good oral health. Health and social service professionals interested in improving the oral health of children and pregnant people enrolled in Head Start and their families may also find Brush Up on Oral Health tip sheets helpful. - Health Start Oral Health
This section offers information and strategies Head Start staff can use – both in the classroom and to share with families – on improving and maintaining the oral health of children, including children with disabilities. - Smiles for Life
Educational resources to promote and support the integration of oral health and primary care. - Healthy Children – Fluoride
Information in the form of Q/A on fluoride. - Ask the Dentist – Fluoride
Q/A with the dentist o fluoride. - American Association of Family Physician
Family physicians role in fluoride. - Head Start ECLKC
Information on SDF’s role in dentistry. - Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Information on Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and oral health. - Benefits and risks of SDF
Benefits and risks of SDF for health care professionals and parents. - Community Water Fluoridation
Water fluoridation information from the CDC.
Newsletters
Monthly newsletter featuring information and tools to promote oral health. Sign up below.
Resources:
- National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center – Resources to Make you Smile
This monthly federal Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center newsletter provides information and materials to promote oral health in the classroom and at home. Sign up for updates and newsletters on oral health (and other areas of interest). Subscribe Here
Quality Child Care
Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
Obtaining quality child care is difficult for all families. It is especially difficult for low-income working families who may work irregular hours and cannot afford the cost of care let alone high quality child care. Recognizing the importance of quality child care, New York is developing and implementing a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), QUALITYstarsNY. For more information, see www.qsny.org. This site contains general information on the initiative, answers to frequently asked questions, the program standards for both center-based programs and family child care providers as well as a survey to provide feedback on both sets of standards. Additionally, through the website, people are able to sign up to receive electronic notification of periodic updates to QUALITYstarsNY.
Welfare and Child Welfare
Home Visiting
The provision of home visiting services would be based on community and individual family needs. Included in the array of home visiting programs that would comprise the system are: Nurse Family Partnership, Healthy Families New York, Parent Child Home Programs and Early Head Start that provide a either exclusively home visiting services or a combination of home-based and center-based services.
Community Services
Addiction Support and Services
The NYS Office of Addiction Support and Services licenses residential addiction treatment programs. Many of the people in programs have children who reside in the centers with them. While services vary by program, there are no specific requirements for meeting the developmental needs of the children. Collaboration project staff have assisted by linking these children and their families to Early Head Start, Head Start, and other early childhood programs. To support facility staff in helping women in their programs meet their child’s developmental needs, the Collaboration Project Director developed a report describing New York’s system of early childhood services including how families can locate and enroll their child in Head Start and Early Head Start.
Homeless
All Head Start programs must prioritize children who are homeless for enrollment. The Tip Sheet for Head Start Providers has information about how to identify children who are experiencing homelessness and how to enroll them in Head Start. The Head Start Housing Questionnaire should be used by Head Start staff as part of the enrollment process to identify any child who is homeless. Both documents were developed by the New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students (www.nysteachs.org) in concert with the New York State Head Start Collaboration Project.
Learn “Everything that You Need to Know: Enrolling Children who are Homeless in Early Head Start and Head Start.”
Children with Disabilities
Head Start/State Education Department Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
The Collaboration Project has worked with staff of the Region II Technical Assistance Network and State Education Department to revise the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Preschool Special Education Program. The MOU is currently available click here.
Head Start Collaboration Project staff work closely with the Region II Head Start Technical Assistance Network to provide whatever assistance programs need to use the statewide MOU as a tool to meet their requirements to develop MOUs with local school districts.
Temporary Task Force on Preschool Special Education
Professional Development Head Start
Earlychildhood.org
The Collaboration Project maintains www.earlychildhood.org which provides a one-stop location for information on early childhood career development.
Trainers’ Credential
The New York State Trainers’ Credential is a competency-based program for people providing training in early care and education. The credential program will validate the trainer’s education and experience with children and/or families or in a specialized content area, and evaluate the trainer’s competence in preparing and implementing professional development experiences that result in increased knowledge, improved professional practice, and eventually in higher quality programs for children and families. It is a voluntary, competency-based credential that is divided into three levels to accommodate trainers with varying degrees of education, expertise and training experience.
The Trainers’ Registry will make it easier for individuals and organizations seeking program and professional development training to locate trainers with the education, experience, and expertise needed to provide high quality training.
Literacy Development for Early Care/Education Providers
In partnership with the Office of Children and Family Services’ Division of Child Care Services (formerly Bureau of Early Childhood Services), SUNY Research Foundation’s Professional Development Program\Training Strategies Group, and Literacy New York (formerly Literacy Volunteers of New York State), the NYS Head Start Collaboration Project has developed a program to address the training and literacy needs of early care and education providers with low literacy skills.
While New York State has some of the highest regulatory standards for people providing early care and education in licensed or registered programs and settings in the nation, many people working as classroom assistants and family child care providers lack the literacy skills needed to provide quality services. Numerous training programs exist to help providers meet licensing standards. However, providers with low literacy skills cannot fully benefit from these trainings if they are unable to read and communicate effectively.
To address the needs of these providers, the project was designed to use existing early care and education training curricula as the context to provide adult literacy instruction. Trainers from child care resource and referral agencies, regional specialists, and Head Start staff received instruction in ways to modify technical information using valid adult education strategies thus making critical concepts and text accessible to more child care providers.
Head Start
Partners
Head Start FAQs
WHY DID THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISH STATE HEAD START COLLABORATION OFFICES?
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Head Start and its twelve regional offices, is responsible for directly funding Head Start programs throughout the United States. Because Head Start is one of a very few programs that is funded directly by the federal government, Head Start programs were seen as not well integrated into state policies and programs. Recognizing the important role of states in the development and implementation of enhanced program development, greater information exchange and more comprehensive early childhood services, ACF developed a demonstration program to support the development of state Head Start Collaboration Offices.
In 1990, the first 12 states, including New York, were funded to create visibility for Head Start at the state level and to develop partnerships with state and local funders of support services to low-income families and their children. The program was expanded in 1992, 1996 and 1997, now Collaboration offices exist in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
WHY IS COLLABORATION BETWEEN HEAD START AND STATE PROGRAMS IMPORTANT?
What is the New York State Head Start Collaboration Office?
The State Council on Children and Families is uniquely situated in state government to implement the activities of the collaboration project. Comprising the commissioners and directors of the state’s 12 human service agencies, the Council ‘s purpose is to identify and address interagency issues that affect the lives of New York States’ 8 million children and their families. Established in 1977 to develop more efficient and effective systems of support and services for children and families, the Council is the Governor’s lead agency for initiatives created to enhance the lives of children and families by promoting a family literacy/family support agenda in New York State.
What is the role of the New York Head Start Collaboration Project in administering Head Start programs in the state?
What is the role of the Head Start Association in the NYS Head Start Collaboration Project?
Head Start
Resource Library
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 1 - Leadership
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 2 - Curriculum
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 3 - Environment
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 4 - Interactions
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 5 - Assessment
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 6 - Family Engagement
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 7 - Behavior
Developmentally Appropriate Practice 8 - Play
2009 MOU NYS Education Department & US Dept. of HHS
2016 Disparate Access: Head Start and CCDBG Data by Race and Ethnicity
2018 NYS Pyramid Model Suspension Expulsion Brief
2019 Needs Assessment Executive Summary
2019 Needs Assessment Report
2019 NYS Child Care Desert Reports
2020 Head Start Needs Assessment
2021 Report: NYS Early Childhood Integrated Data System Update
2021 Research Brief: Silver Linings, Coping During the COVID Pandemic in NYS
2023 Needs Assessment
