Head Start’s Interaction with Federal, State, and Local Systems
Evidence | Publications

Head Start’s Interaction with Federal, State, and Local Systems

OPRE Report #2022-12
Published: Feb 28, 2022
Publisher: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Human Services Early Childhood Child Development Early Childhood Systems Federal State and Local
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Authors

Sara Bernstein

Natalie Reid

Jeffrey Harrington

Lizabeth Malone

Key Findings
  • Most Head Start programs have some interaction with state licensing and quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs).
  • Most Head Start programs (94 percent) receive funding from other sources in addition to Head Start.
  • Many programs serve individual children whose participation is supported by other sources of funding in addition to Head Start funding.
  • To support the use of these various funding streams, all programs have dedicated financial management staff, and over two-thirds of program directors have training in financial management.

This research brief uses nationally representative data from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2019) to understand how Head Start programs interact with other systems that support early care and education (ECE). The findings can help policymakers and others who are working to strengthen alignment, coordination, and collaboration across the ECE system to better serve children and families.

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