Team Perspectives on Inclusion in Early Head Start and Child Care

1. Team Perspectives on Inclusion in Early Head Start and Child Care Linda Brekken and Rob Corso - Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program Kenny Goode, Regina Henderson Jessica Nuhibian Boisvert OSEP National Early Childhood Conference February 7, 2005

2. Agenda • Overview of Early Head Start and the Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program • SpecialQuest Graduates’ Experiences • Model and Stories - Family/Service Provider Collaboration and Leadership • Video - In Concert • Discussion • What We’ve Learned

3. Early Head Start • Over 700 Early Head Start programs nationally serve pregnant women, infants and toddlers across the country • EHS programs serve 77,000 families • 4 Cornerstones of Services • Infants and Toddler Development • Family Development • Staff Development • Community Development

4. Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities • Infants and toddlers with disabilities are those from birth to three years, as identified under the Part C Program (Individuals with Disabilities Act) in their state. 45 CFR 1304.3(a)(2)

5. HSPS 1305.6 (c) • At least 10% of enrollment opportunities in EHS/MSHS programs must be available to infants and toddlers with disabilities.

6. Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program

7. FactsAboutthe Program • Public-private partnership between the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Head Start Bureau. • Purpose: to augment learning opportunities for Early Head Start staff and families in serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

8. SpecialQuests • Intensive, interactive learning experiences, using a sequential, skill-building curriculum, spanning 4 days • Teams from each EHS/MSHS grantee annually participate in regional SpecialQuests over the course of 4 years

9. SpecialQuests • A Learning Coach works with each team during SpecialQuests in developing goals • Learning Coaches provide on-site follow-up to support implementation

10. SpecialQuest Teams • Family members of children with disabilities • Early Intervention partners • EHS administrators • EHS disabilities staff • EHS teachers or home visitors • Child care partners • Head Start partners

11. Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program Model • Team-based • Training over time • Intensive learning opportunities • Supportive follow-up • Continuous improvement • Goal: • To create change in communities for the inclusion of infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

12. SpecialQuest Graduates • Phase I - 240 SpecialQuest teams “graduated” from 4 years of training and follow up support • Phase II - 48 Ambassadors selected from graduate teams • Ambassadors are leaders and advocates for the inclusion of children with disabilities and their families, who are continuing the quest, in and beyond their own communities.

13. Ambassador Stories • Kenny Goode - Family Member - Champaign, Ill. • Regina Henderson - EHS Director - San Marcos, TX • Jessica Nuhibian Boisvert - Early Intervention Director - West Roxbury, MA

14. The Goode Family

16. Build Relationships

17. Gather Information and Resources

18. Develop Collaborative Plans

19. Implement Collaborative Plans

20. Collaborative Leadership • Ultimate Goal: • Families are informed decision-makers and participate as leaders for their family, program and community in partnership with service providers.

21. In Concert • As you watch the video - please note examples of how families and service providers worked together - • Building Relationships • Gathering Information and Resources • Developing Collaborative Plans • Implementing Plans Together

22. Small Group Discussion • As a group, briefly introduce yourselves • Identify strategies that you observed in the video for • Building Relationships • Gathering Information and Resources • Developing Collaborative Plans • Implementing Collaborative Plans • Identify effective strategies that you have used to support collaborative, inclusive services in your community

23. Share Back • One great idea or strategy that you discussed in your small group

24. www.specialquest.org • 280 + EHS Programs currently participating • 240 EHS programs graduated from 4 years of SpecialQuest • 48 SpecialQuest Ambassadors have been selected • Resources and Links • Evaluation data

25. What we have learned from SpecialQuest Graduates • EHS programs increased the number of children with disabilities served • Programs developed strategies to support family advocacy and leadership • EHS/MSHS staff increased their comfort and confidence in serving infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families • Collaboration between Early Head Start and Early Intervention resulted in increased services to families. • Teams shared the training with others in their community

26. Impact of Collaboration on EHS / EI • More referrals made/ accepted between EHS and EI • Increased awareness in community • Of needs of children with disabilities – Of EHS as an appropriate place to serve infants and toddlers with disabilities • More resources available for families • More access to staff training and professional development opportunities for EHS and EI staff • Increase in EHS staff comfort, confidence and skills in serving infants and toddlers with disabilities—including significant disabilities—and their families. • Steamlined paperwork for families • Co-Service Coordination between EHS and EI leading to improved service delivery for families

27. What we have learned • Challenges remain: • Families report difficulty accessing services • Early Intervention staff not referring children with more significant disabilities to EHS programs • Part C providers unclear about EHS services and eligibility criteria. • EHS programs must have a wait list • Fear of “overwhelming” families with multiple providers

28. Ambassador/Graduate Stories • Received 203 stories to date (out of 240) • 35% of SQ teams continue to meet

29. Ambassador/Graduate Stories • 71% of graduate teams continue to work on their 5 Year Plan or have infused this plan into the overall Agency plan

30. Ambassador/Graduate Stories • 97% indicated desire for continued contact • 57% - state/regional conference • 42% - email • 26% - Teleconferences • 27% - Listservs

31. Ambassador/Graduate Stories • SpecialQuest has improved services to infants and toddlers with disabilities in a number of ways including through the wonderful training process urging us to always remain on the Quest. Our program has used the training materials not only for Disabilities Services but we have also broadened the use of the Goal Sheets across our whole Early Head Start Program. Early Head Start has partnered with Part C (Early On) to serve as Service Coordinators. We are still working on our 5-year plan.

32. Ambassador/Graduate Stories • SpecialQuest gave us direction and increased our services to be what we could and should be doing. It also helped to build us into a team for serving families with infants and toddlers with disabilities. Our county services have developed and evolved into a comprehensive and inclusive system of services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. We have developed from an overly anxious team of service providers into a confident and competent team.We continue to monitor our plan to keep what we have achieved in place.