Facts In Action

Since its inception in 1965, one of the hallmarks of the Head Start program has been parental involvement. Parents have participated in a variety of ways, including attending parent meetings, taking part in workshops, and volunteering in classrooms. Levels of involvement vary from parent to parent, and researchers recently asked what might cause these differences in participation. In a study conducted by The National Council of Jewish Women Center for the Child in partnership with two Head Start agencies in New York City, Head Start staff members rated each parent as a high, medium, or low participator. Researchers then asked parents a series of questions regarding their life experiences (such as whether they have health problems or have moved during the Head Start year) and whether any of these experiences presented a barrier to participation in Head Start.

As researchers expected, mothers who reported a greater number of barriers were more likely to have been placed in the low participator category by Head Start staff. The two barriers most frequently identified by low participator parents were having a schedule that conflicted with Head Start activities and having a baby or toddler at home. These and other findings served to convince administrators and legislators that new funding was essential to strengthening the Head Start agencies involved in the study. Soon afterward, one of the New York sites began construction on a full service day care center for the community. The other Head Start site was able to negotiate an agreement with a welfare-to-work program to establish an on-site training program at the Head Start location.

Surprisingly, parents who described themselves as shy were among the most likely to participate actively in their child's program. The researchers believe that these mothers may have viewed the Head Start site as a safe place to interact with others.

Source:
"Understanding Barriers to Parental Involvement in Head Start: A Research-Community Partnership," F. Lamb-Parker, C. Piotrkowski, A. Baker, S. Kessler-Sjlar, B. Clark, and L. Peay, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 16, Number 1, 2001.

Facts in Action, October 2001