Early Head Start Home-Based Option programs include several primary staff positions:
- Home visitors who conduct home visits with families and facilitate group socialization activities;
- Home visitor supervisors;
- Comprehensive services staff (such as disabilities and health specialists); and
- A director who oversees the program.
In addition, Early Head Start programs must have (1) family, health, and disabilities management staff, and (2) education management staff.
Home visitors providing home-based education services must have a minimum of a Home Visitor Child Development Associate (CDA), a comparable credential, or equivalent coursework as part of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Home visitors are also required to demonstrate competency in planning and delivering home-based learning experiences that (1) effectively implement the home visiting curriculum; (2) promote children’s progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, including children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate; and (3) build respectful, culturally responsive, and trusting relationships with families. Supervisors must have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a bachelor’s degree in any field with equivalent coursework in early childhood education and teaching experience in early childhood settings.
Head Start Program Performance Standards require an organizational structure and staffing patterns to support full implementation of all requirements for the Early Head Start Home-Based Option. At a minimum, the Head Start Program Performance Standards require that such programs conduct performance reviews, use the results to identify training and professional development needs, and assist in improving staff skills and professional competencies.
Programs must monitor curriculum implementation and fidelity, and they must provide support, feedback, and supervision for continuous improvement of implementation through a system of training and professional development. Early Head Start recommends several supervision strategies to retain, develop, and support staff. They include consistent, formal, reflective supervision and opportunities for home visitors to meet together. The Early Head Start Home-Based Option does not require a specific frequency of supervision, local programs determine supervision frequency.
At a minimum, the Head Start Program Performance Standards require that Early Head Start programs provide an orientation to all new staff that includes the goals and philosophy of the Early Head Start program and how they are implemented in the individual program. In addition, all staff must be trained on how to implement the curriculum. The Office of Head Start does not require programs to provide pre-service training for supervisors Please contact the model developer for additional information about the pre-service training requirement.
Early Head Start programs must establish and implement a systematic approach to staff training and professional development, with the potential for academic credit when possible. At a minimum, the training and professional development system must include the following:
- A minimum of 15 hours of staff professional development per year;
- Training on methods to handle suspected or known child abuse and neglect cases, as aligned with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal law;
- Training for child and family services staff on best practices for implementing family engagement strategies in a systemic way; and
- Research-based approaches to professional development for education staff.
The Office of Head Start does not require specific in-service training for supervisors. Local programs determine their own in-service training requirements. Please contact the model developer for additional information about the ongoing professional development requirements.