Early Head Start—Home-based option

Early Head Start serves income-eligible pregnant people and families with children younger than age 3, most of whom are at or below the federal poverty level or eligible for Part C services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in their state. The model provides early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services. Early Head Start programs include home- or center-based services, a combination of home- and center-based programs, and family child care services (services provided in family child care homes). This profile focuses on the Early Head Start–Home-based option, which includes a minimum of weekly 90-minute home visits and two group socialization activities per month for parents and their children until the child’s third birthday. Home visitors are required to have a Home Visitor Child Development Associate (CDA) or comparable credential, or have completed equivalent coursework as part of an associate or bachelor’s degree. This report also includes a review of an adaptation of Early Head Start–Home-based option services for infant mental health home-based services (IMH-HB Early Head Start) that aims to help parents build stronger relationships with their infants and toddlers, foster healthy family functioning, and support the emotional health of parents and children.

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Early Head Start is a comprehensive two-generation federal initiative aimed at enhancing the development of infants and toddlers while strengthening families. The model is founded on nine principles:

1. High-quality services
2. Activities that promote healthy development and identify atypical development at the earliest stage possible
3. Positive relationships and continuity, with an emphasis on the parent’s role as the person with whom the child has their first and most important relationship
4. Activities that offer parents a meaningful and strategic role in the program’s vision, services, and governance
5. Inclusion strategies that respect the unique developmental trajectories of young children, including children with disabilities, in the context of a setting inclusive of children with and without disabilities
6. Cultural competence that acknowledges the profound role culture plays in early development
7. Comprehensiveness, flexibility, and responsiveness of services that allow children and families to move across various program options over time as their life situation demands
8. Transition planning
9. Collaboration with community partnerships that allow programs to expand their services

Early Head Start includes home- or center-based services, a combination of home- and center-based services, and family child care services (services provided in family child care homes). The information in this profile describes the Early Head Start–Home-based option unless specified otherwise.

The Early Head Start program, which includes the Early Head Start–Home-based option, is administered by the Office of Head Start in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACF regional offices oversee the administration of ACF programs, including the Early Head Start program. These offices guide the programmatic and financial management of Early Head Start programs in their jurisdictions and provide assistance, resources, and information to the various entities that administer these programs.

ACF’s Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care collaborate to provide training and technical assistance (T/TA) across early care and education programs to support the delivery of high-quality services to children and families. The T/TA consists of (1) direct funding to grantees to address needs identified in their training plans; (2) regional T/TA specialists; and (3) six national centers. These centers act collectively as comprehensive providers of resources, information, and training to build the capacity of early care and education programs and promote consistent practices across communities, states, tribes, and territories. In addition, T/TA materials are available on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center website.

The Early Head Start–Home-based option serves income-eligible pregnant people and families with children younger than age 3. Most families must have incomes at or below the federal poverty level to be eligible for services. In addition, Early Head Start programs must make at least 10% of their enrollment opportunities available to children with disabilities who are eligible for Part C services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in their state.

Annually, each program must develop specific program eligibility criteria, aligned with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, that prioritize selection of participants based on results from the program’s community needs assessment. This assessment identifies priority populations based on relevant family or child risk factors, including family income, whether the child is homeless, whether the child is in foster care, the child’s age, and whether the child is eligible for special education and related services or early intervention services. If a program serves migrant or seasonal families, it must give priority to children whose families can demonstrate they have relocated frequently within the past two years to pursue agricultural work.

The Early Head Start–Home-based option aims to (1) promote healthy prenatal and birth outcomes, (2) enhance the development of very young children, (3) promote healthy family functioning, and (4) prepare children to succeed in school.

Early Head Start–Home-based option services are delivered through weekly 90-minute home visits and monthly group socialization activities for parents and their children.

Early Head Start–Home-based option programs must implement a developmentally appropriate, research-based early childhood home visiting curriculum that meets the following criteria:

• Promotes the parent’s role as the child’s teacher through experiences focused on the parent–child relationship and, as appropriate, the family’s traditions, culture, values, and beliefs
• Supports individualization and growth in the areas of development described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and, as appropriate, state early learning standards
• Supports measurable progress toward goals outlined in the framework
• Includes plans and materials for learning experiences based on developmental progressions and how children learn

Programs must provide parents with an opportunity to review the selected curricula and instructional materials.

If a program chooses to modify a curriculum substantially to better meet the needs of one or more populations, it must (1) partner with an early childhood education curriculum or content area expert and (2) assess whether the adaptation adequately facilitates progress toward school-readiness goals.

Early Head Start–Home-based option programs provide at least one 90-minute home visit per week, per family (with a minimum of 46 home visits per year). They also provide a minimum of two group socialization activities per month for children and their families (with a minimum of 22 group socialization activities each year).

Early Head Start–Home-based option services are available to eligible pregnant people and families with children from the child’s birth until their third birthday.

A program may choose to adapt or enhance its selected curriculum to better meet the needs of one or more specific populations. The program must (1) work with an external early childhood education curriculum or content area expert to develop the adaptation and (2) assess whether the adaptation adequately facilitates progress toward meeting school-readiness goals.

According to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, Early Head Start programs can include (1) entities operating Head Start programs; (2) entities operating American Indian, Alaska Native, or Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs; and (3) other public, nonprofit, or for-profit private entities, including community- and faith-based organizations. 

Early Head Start requires all programs to meet a set of ongoing fidelity guidelines outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Please contact the model developer for additional information about these guidelines.

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)
• 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 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. At a minimum, supervisors must have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or in another 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. Head Start Program Performance Standards require that such programs conduct performance reviews, use the results to identify training and professional development needs, and help improve staff skills and professional competencies.

Programs must monitor curriculum implementation and fidelity, and 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.

Head Start Program Performance Standards require that Early Head Start programs conduct an orientation with all new staff that explains the goals and philosophy of the Early Head Start program and how these elements are implemented in their individual setting. In addition, all staff must be trained on how to implement the curriculum. Please contact the model developer for 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. Requirements for the training and professional development system include the following:

• At least 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

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 ongoing professional development requirements.

Administration for Children and Families
Office of Head Start (OHS)
Mary E. Switzer Building
330 C Street, SW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20201

Website: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/; http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc