NHSA

What is Parent Gauge?
2023-05-24 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
What is Parent Gauge? Maximizing Your Parent Engagement Efforts
Learn more about Parent Gauge, the family engagement assessment tool designed specifically for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. In this session we’ll review how Parent Gauge uses a guided interview by frontline staff to explore family experiences and how leadership uses that information to inform program decisions and continue quality improvement.
Presenters:

Sandy Oceguera, Senior Data Product Manager
Lucricia Delgado, Parent Gauge Consultant

EHS Advocacy Site Visits
2023-06-07 14:00 - 15:00
Hosting members of Congress (or congressional staff) at your program is one of the most powerful ways to illustrate the value of Head Start and provide lawmakers with a memorable experience that can shape their decision making. Join NHSA to hear from Head Start programs about their successful program visits and learn how to best advocate for your Early Head Start/Head Start program.
Presenters

Bob Bissen, Senior Director of Government Affairs, National Head Start Association

Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Head Start Association

Lindsey Fredericks, Community Advocate, Luzerne County Head Start, Pennsylvania

Dr. Sharon Small, Chief Executive Officer and HS/EHS Director, Parent/Child Incorporated, Texas

EHS Best Practice: Multilingual Babies
2023-06-14 14:00 - 15:00
Early Head Start is supporting Multilingual Babies.
Many children enrolled in EHS programs grow up with more than one language. Unfortunately, Latino families, and families that speak languages other than English often encounter misinformation and negative messages about early bilingualism.
This session will present an intentional approach to understanding and supporting the development of multi-lingual infants/toddlers in EHS settings. We will address the following questions:
Are children confused if they grow up with more than one language?
What capabilities do infants/toddlers bring to multi-lingual development?
How can families confront misinformation and negative messaging?
How can EHS programs, parents, and family members collaborate to promote optimal development of multi-lingual infants?

Long before children begin speaking, they are learning. This includes engaging in social relationships and interactions, working with ideas and information, and developing language. Infants growing up with more than one language have the capabilities to develop both languages successfully. An intentional approach that includes parents, family members, and EHS program staff presents an ideal opportunity to support multi-lingual development during the first three years.

Presenters: Robert Stechuk and Tania Villarroel
Robert Stechuk, Ph.D., is the Director of Early Childhood Education Initiatives at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza) in Washington, DC. He co-leads the Latino Infant Initiative, a collaboration with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, which seeks to strengthen program capacity to provide high-quality services for Latino infants (PN-3) and their families; infuse the voices of Latino parents and family members, advocates, and program staff in the policy arena; disseminate relevant research evidence to policymakers and programs; and advocate for informed policies, campaigns, and investments at the federal, state, and local levels. He works to build capacity among early childhood education programs serving Latino children through the development of research-to-practice materials and advocacy efforts. Early in his career, he worked in childcare classrooms for five years and as a Head Start Director for six years. From 2010-2015, Mr. Stechuk was the co-Director of the Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (NCCLR). Previously, as an independent consultant, he was the lead author of Revisiting and Updating the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five. Mr. Stechuk has been a faculty member at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, teaching courses on cognitive development, language development, and early literacy. He holds an M. Ed. in early childhood special education and a Ph. D. in child development and early literacy from George Mason University. Dr. Stechuk is the author of Latino Infants: A Continuing Imperative, recently published by UnidosUS.
Tania Villarroel, Senior Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Education at UnidosUS.
Tania is a Chilean lawyer and Law Professor at Universidad de Chile with over 10 years of experience. She holds a master’s in laws (LL.M.) from Columbia University, and a Diploma in Education Policy from Universidad de Chile. She has worked conducting research, advocating for Early Childhood Education bills in Congress, and implementing education programs in Africa. Currently, she is focusing on developing and sustaining a national advocacy network on behalf of Latino infants, driving a policy agenda that works to eliminate barriers to early childhood education and development for Latino children PN-3 and dual language learners.

EHS Best Practice: Bebés Multilingües
2023-06-15 14:00 - 15:00
This webinar will be in Spanish. Early Head Start apoya a los bebés multilingües.
Many children enrolled in EHS programs grow up with more than one language. Unfortunately, Latino families, and families that speak languages other than English often encounter misinformation and negative messages about early bilingualism.
This session will present an intentional approach to understanding and supporting the development of multi-lingual infants/toddlers in EHS settings. We will address the following questions:
Are children confused if they grow up with more than one language?
What capabilities do infants/toddlers bring to multi-lingual development?
How can families confront misinformation and negative messaging?
How can EHS programs, parents, and family members collaborate to promote optimal development of multi-lingual infants?

Long before children begin speaking, they are learning. This includes engaging in social relationships and interactions, working with ideas and information, and developing language. Infants growing up with more than one language have the capabilities to develop both languages successfully. An intentional approach that includes parents, family members, and EHS program staff presents an ideal opportunity to support multi-lingual development during the first three years.
Presenters: Robert Stechuk and Tania Villarroel
Robert Stechuk, Ph.D., is the Director of Early Childhood Education Initiatives at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza) in Washington, DC. He co-leads the Latino Infant Initiative, a collaboration with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, which seeks to strengthen program capacity to provide high-quality services for Latino infants (PN-3) and their families; infuse the voices of Latino parents and family members, advocates, and program staff in the policy arena; disseminate relevant research evidence to policymakers and programs; and advocate for informed policies, campaigns, and investments at the federal, state, and local levels. He works to build capacity among early childhood education programs serving Latino children through the development of research-to-practice materials and advocacy efforts. Early in his career, he worked in childcare classrooms for five years and as a Head Start Director for six years. From 2010-2015, Mr. Stechuk was the co-Director of the Office of Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness (NCCLR). Previously, as an independent consultant, he was the lead author of Revisiting and Updating the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five. Mr. Stechuk has been a faculty member at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, teaching courses on cognitive development, language development, and early literacy. He holds an M. Ed. in early childhood special education and a Ph. D. in child development and early literacy from George Mason University. Dr. Stechuk is the author of Latino Infants: A Continuing Imperative, recently published by UnidosUS.
Tania Villarroel, Senior Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Education at UnidosUS.
Tania is a Chilean lawyer and Law Professor at Universidad de Chile with over 10 years of experience. She holds a master’s in laws (LL.M.) from Columbia University, and a Diploma in Education Policy from Universidad de Chile. She has worked conducting research, advocating for Early Childhood Education bills in Congress, and implementing education programs in Africa. Currently, she is focusing on developing and sustaining a national advocacy network on behalf of Latino infants, driving a policy agenda that works to eliminate barriers to early childhood education and development for Latino children PN-3 and dual language learners.

JEDI Listening Session
2023-06-23 13:00 - 14:30
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Listening Session
As Head Start celebrates 58 years, its commitment to the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) are steadfast! The National Head Start Association is partnered with the Children’s Equity Project (CEP) to conduct a series of listening sessions with leading early childhood educators and practitioners to explore how Head Start addresses JEDI principles in program goals, standards, and practice.
Please join our session moderators, Dr. Shantel Meek and Dr. Iheoma Iruka of CEP, Tuesday, May 23 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET to participate in the conversation and share your insight and thoughts on how Head Start meets and may expand its JEDI mission.

Moderators:
Dr. Shantel Meek
Dr. Shantel Meek is a Professor of Practice and the Founding Director of the Children’s Equity Project, a multi-university initiative that aims to close opportunity gaps between children from historically marginalized communities and their peers. Dr. Meek previously served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood Development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as a Senior Policy Advisor for Education in the Domestic Policy Council at the White House.

Dr. Iheoma Iruka
Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka is leading projects and initiatives focused on ensuring that minoritized children and children from low-income households thrive through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, and culturally grounded research, program, and policy. Dr. Iruka has authored over 80 books and papers and has given over 200 talks in the past two years. She serves on numerous national and local boards and committees, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs, and the National Science Foundation. In addition to being on the National Advisory Committee for the U.S. Census Bureau and a Census Advisor for the National Urban League, Dr. Iruka is the recipient of the 2022 American Psychological Association Mid-Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families and the 2023
Association of University Centers on Disabilities Leadership for All award-winner.

EHS Advocacy: Including Services to Pregnant People
2023-06-28 14:00 - 15:00
Early Head Start has a profound impact on healthy pregnancies for families through access to ongoing health care, comprehensive series, and education to support a healthy pregnancy. Yet, less than 13,000 pregnant women are served nationwide. Join us to hear from programs on how they expanded services to pregnant women in their Early Head Start program and the impact on the families they serve.

Lifting up Diverse Family Voices in Head Start Programs
2023-07-18 14:00 - 15:00
In Head Start programs, parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) strategies are systemic, integrated, and comprehensive, and “family engagement is everyone’s business.” In order to engage with families effectively, leaders must establish strong program foundations and set the vision for the whole team.
Program leaders must ensure that the organizational culture and systems provide staff with the fundamentals to engage in reflective practice and go deep in understanding each family. And it’s up to leaders to advocate for the inclusion of diverse family voices throughout the program.
In this session we will explore how integrating family voice helps programs meet Head Start Performance standards and shows up in the PFCE framework, and the unique role that program leaders play in this process.
We will explore:

The Why: according to the research, why incorporating family voice is important for positive family and child outcomes
The What: What families say is important to them, including real-life examples from the voices of Head Start families
The How: How program leaders can lay the foundation for authentically incorporating family voice into their programs

Participants will get take-home resources to help them engage in self-reflection and begin the process to incorporate more diverse family voices into the next program year.
Presenters:
Sandy Oceguera, is the Sr. Data Product Manager at NHSA. Her background includes 5 years in social services and 5 years in big data analytics lending her a unique perspective in utilizing and developing NHSA’s data products, including Parent Gauge, usefulness for the field. Sandy holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Colorado State University with a specialization in public and nonprofit management.

Mallary Swartz, Ph.D, is Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at ParentPowered and an applied researcher in family engagement and early childhood. She has spent 20 years cultivating relationships, managing partnerships, and leading research, evaluation, and innovation projects at family-focused organizations such as Start Early, Fred Rogers Productions, and Brazelton Touchpoints Center. Mallary also served as Co-Principal Investigator for the Office of Head Start National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. She has a Ph.D. in Child Development from Tufts University, an M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.A. from Duke University.

Can’t attend this session? We will have another session available on September 27, at 4 p.m. ET.

EHS Best Practice: Effective State-Level Policies
2023-07-19 14:00 - 15:00
Effective State-Level Policies to Strengthen the Early Years
The prenatal to age 3 period is the most sensitive and rapid period of development. Children who experience safe, nurturing, and loving environments are placed on trajectories toward optimal growth and learning, yet many families face substantial challenges during these years. Grounded in the science of the developing child and based on comprehensive reviews of the most rigorous evidence available, this session shares 11 policy solutions that help foster the nurturing environments infants and toddlers need to thrive and that reduce longstanding disparities in opportunities and outcomes among racial and ethnic groups and socioeconomic statuses.

Presenter:
Cynthia Osborne, PhD is a Professor of Early Childhood Education and Policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She is also the founder and executive director of the national Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, an academic research center that translates the science of the developing child into state level policies with the strongest evidence base of effectiveness. She was an appointed member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee On Building An Agenda To Reduce The Number Of Children In Poverty By Half In 10 Years and is currently serving on another NASEM committee, Exploring the Opportunity Gap for Young Children Birth to Age 8. Osborne holds a Ph.D. in demography and public affairs from Princeton University, a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master of Arts in education from Claremont Graduate University.

Public Transit Accessibility (and Burden) of Head Start Centers
2023-07-25 14:00 - 15:00
From the base of the Grand Canyon, to the frontier of Alaska, Head Start programs nationwide serve nearly a million of our nation’s most vulnerable children and families each year. But how accessible are Head Start centers?
In partnership with the Civic Mapping Initiative, NHSA found that only 40% of Head Start locations are within walking distance of a fixed route transit stop. An additional 30% are in areas served by public transit, yet their closest stops are beyond walking distance for a toddler. These 30% of centers mean hundreds of opportunities to shift stops by less than half a mile and meaningfully impact childcare access for low-income families.
The American Public Transportation Association and the National Head Start Association invite you to a briefing about how transit agencies and Head Start centers can work together to best serve low-income families in their communities.
Watch the recording to learn about this research, how you can engage with your local Head Start operator and/or transit agency, and ways to participate in the national launch of this map in October 2023.
Presenters:

Abigail Seldin, Civic Mapping Initiative
Art Guzzetti, American Public Transportation Association
Victoria Jones, National Head Start Association

EHS Best Practice: Speech & Language Developmental Milestones
2023-07-26 14:00 - 15:00
Explore the speech and language developmental guidelines from a bilingual speech-language pathologist. Learn about when and how to ask for help if there is a concern.
A Bilingual/Multilingual Perspective
Presenter:
Emily Vincent, M.S. CCC-SLP is a bilingual/bicultural (Spanish-English) speech-language pathologist. She has been working with families and children for many years providing therapy, diagnostic, and consultation services through Early Intervention, public and private preschools including Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as elementary schools. She began life after college as a Head Start preschool teacher, then later as a Disability Specialist for Early Head Start and Head Start while attending graduate school to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist. When she not is conquering tele-therapy or google docs with her incredible and diverse caseload, she can be found hanging out with family in the mountains or the beach, in a bootcamp class or reading a novel.

Mindful Sleep Series with Starling Minds
2023-08-01 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-08-08 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-08-15 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-08-22 19:00 - 20:00
Join Starling Mind‘s four-week interactive iCBT Sleep + Mindfulness Workshop with Mental Fitness Coach, Tara Achkar. This is available for free to staff and staff’s family for free through NHSA membership.
Duration: 1 hour per week via Zoom
In this workshop, you will learn proven strategies to:

Reverse poor sleeping habits with Mindfulness practices
Strengthen your natural sleep system using different CBT and – Mindfulness strategies
Break down obstacles to healthy, natural sleep
Restore the healthy, natural sleep you need to feel more rested

PRESENTER
Tara Achkar
Mental Fitness Coach, Starling Minds
Tara Achkar is the Mental Fitness Coach, and Sr. Engagement Manager at Starling Minds. Passionate about mental health and wellness, she is taking her love for mindfulness to help people gain the skills and tools they need to live healthier, happier lives. With a holistic approach to yoga and science, her mission is to empower people to improve their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

EHS Best Practice: Post-partum
2023-08-02 14:00 - 15:00
Developmental-Relational Frameworks for Understanding and Addressing Post-Partum Depression and Early Parenting
Post-partum mood disturbances affect the individual functioning of parents yet also all the inter-relationships and well-being in a family system, including the new infant. This is often a source of tremendous concern. However, this also offers a profoundly important opportunity to address post-partum depression and anxiety through the lens and portal of the parent-infant relationship. Practitioners across disciplines have the opportunity to enhance care and outcomes for infants and their mothers experiencing post-partum depression. The family system is an opportune focus of treatment to the benefit of all; in relational context. Our efforts need to employ every available strategy to enhance the care for these infant-parent dyads in service of better outcomes for infants’ functioning, as well as enhancing maternal therapeutic treatment. We don’t want to miss opportunities for intervening in the earliest stage of infant-parent attachment; the first 100 days of life when highly consequential bio-behavioral shifts are occurring in the development of the infant brain. This is in service of optimizing infant developmental potential, as well as enhancing mothers’ future-orientation and motivation for treatment in order to best meet the needs of their baby. The impact of parents and other significant adults on children’s early development, emotional well-being, and learning is well-established. Relationships, and the cultural contexts in which they occur, are extraordinarily consequential for development. The quality of the caregiving relationship is the critical factor in mitigating long term deleterious effects on children’s development that can stem from untreated maternal mental health concerns.
This workshop will engage participants in deepening relationship-based, developmentally-informed practice that improves professionals’ and parents’ ability to be successful in understanding and applying child developmental constructs to their daily practice. It will focus on implementing a set of practices such as sharing careful observation of infant behavior and focusing on parents’ strengths to improve parent-provider and parent-child relationships that promote family relational and emotional health and wellness. Aspects of the Brazelton Touchpoints™ Approach will explore both its Developmental and Relational Frameworks; and how parental post-partum mood disturbance in parental self-regulation can affect a parent’s interpretation of, and response to, their infant’s behavior. The workshop will include interactive PowerPoint presentation material and opportunities for discussion in order to orient the participants to developmental-relational practice. These activities will support workforce skills and well-being in service of capacity to serve young children and their families.
Presenter:
Jayne Singer, Ph.D. IECMH-E
Dr. Singer is a clinical psychologist and Endorsed® Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Clinical Mentor with over 40 years of experience working in community, hospital, and school based programs, serving children and families with a wide variety of developmental, medical, social, emotional, and familial challenges. At the Brazelton Touchpoints Center in the Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, she serves as Director of Developmental and Relational Health as well as Director of Clinical Training. She engages in clinical practice and continuous national and international teaching and intensive reflective mentoring of the Brazelton Touchpoints Approach and the Newborn Behavioral Observations system. She spearheaded adaptations of the Touchpoints Approach that developed within the field of primary care pediatrics for application in the fields of Early Intervention and Developmental Disabilities, Early Care and Education, Mental Health practice, and Substance Use Disorder Recovery. She is Past President of the Massachusetts Association for Infant Mental Health, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, a ZTT-certified trainer of the DC:0-5 system, and the 2022 recipient of the William M. Schafer, PhD, Award to Honor Excellence in Reflective Supervision, Leadership and Inspiration awarded by international Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health

Parent Gauge and Ready4K Information Session
2023-08-03 14:00 - 14:45
Research-Based Family Engagement: Parent Gauge & Ready4K
Does your program struggle with implementing family engagement strategies that are targeted to the needs of your families? If so, we invite you to learn about a unique PFCE solution: Parent Gauge family assessment and Ready4K family engagement curriculum.
Both are grounded in research and use data to drive decision making for your program.
In this info session, you’ll see not only how each product can enhance your program’s PFCE efforts, but how you can maximize results when you use them together.
Can’t attend this session? We have another information session scheduled for October 4, at 4 p.m. ET.

EHS Best Practice: Educación Musical (Spanish)
2023-08-09 14:00 - 15:00
This webinar will be in Spanish: “El mejor regalo… La importancia de la educación musical desde la infancia temprana hasta la etapa preescolar”
El desarrollo musical de los niños se encuentra estrechamente vinculado a su desarrollo cognitivo, físico, emocional, social y de lenguaje. Por esta razón, es crucial brindar actividades musicales apropiadas y enriquecedoras para todos los bebés y niños pequeños. Esto puede representar un desafío para padres y madres, al igual que proveedores de centros infantiles. Ambos grupos se plantean las mismas preguntas:
¿Cómo puedo fomentar el desarrollo musical de mi hijo o hija?
¿Cuándo es el momento adecuado para introducir actividades musicales en el cuidado de los niños y las niñas?
¿Dónde puedo encontrar materiales para ofrecer actividades apropiadas para bebés, al igual que para niños y niñas en edad preescolar?

Esta sesión destacará actividades que ejemplifiquen las mejores prácticas respaldadas por la investigación y validadas en el campo educativo. Padres, coordinadores y directores tendrán la
oportunidad de adquirir conocimientos sobre actividades musicales adecuadas para cada etapa de desarrollo, desde la infancia temprana hasta la etapa preescolar. Además, se proporcionarán
recursos prácticos que podrán utilizar tanto en el hogar como en los centros educativos, ilustrando cómo se relacionan con los momentos clave en el desarrollo infantil.

Presentadora: YOLANDA BORRÁS
Educadora dominicana y fundadora de I’m Bilingual!® Languages Through Music, ha dedicado su vida profesional a la educación para niños de edad temprana y a la gestión empresarial educativa. Yolanda es facilitadora de talleres especializados en educación musical para docentes y participa como expositora en conferencias internacionales. Obtuvo el título de Licenciatura en Música en el Peabody Conservatory de la Universidad Johns Hopkins y maestría en Administración Educativa en Teachers College de la Universidad de Columbia. Mediante la plataforma educativa de I’m Bilingual!® Yolanda ofrece herramientas y recursos eficaces que los educadores pueden utilizar para enriquecer sus programas y fomentar el desarrollo de habilidades musicales y de lenguaje en los niños desde edad temprana. Su colección de música infantil y sus libros de canción ilustrada han sido galardonados a nivel internacional.

Financial Wellness: Revisiting the Basics (1 of 2)
2023-08-10 14:00 - 14:30
Financial Wellness Thursdays with The Beans
Revisiting the basics: 3 Principles to Money + Life Balance

Make a Plan
Save Some
Spend on what brings you joy

Learn about The Beans’ highly rated professional development programs for improving your staffs’ financial wellness + the evidence-based principles proven to promote financial progress and reduce financial stress.
Sponsored by:

Financial Wellness: Revisiting the Basics (Option 2)
2023-08-10 18:00 - 18:30

DEI Doesn’t Happen By Accident
2023-08-15 14:00 - 15:00
Dr. Kim explains why we must be intentional in our Head Start leadership because “DEI Doesn’t Happen By Accident!” In this professional development session, you will understand why leadership with intention drives authentic DEI programming.

Head Start is organically steeped in efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The Head Start Program Performance Standards provide a framework that supports this effort. However, without intentionality behind DEI and leadership who ‘own’ the work, programs may or may not be meeting the needs of children and families in their communities in a way that puts DEI at the center. To prioritize DEI, programs must commit leadership effort here. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the leading voices in DEI in the nation. Dr. Kimberly P. Johnson (lovingly known as Dr. Kim to the Head Start world), Clemson professor, Harvard course facilitator, author and DEI expert, will share her view of DEI in Head Start and how leadership drives its effectiveness.
Presenter: Dr. Kimberly Johnson, children’s author and educator
Dr. Kimberly P. Johnson grew up in Shelby, NC. She is the author of 25 children’s books. Dr. Johnson received her doctorate in Curriculum, Teaching, and Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She holds a master’s degree from Clemson University, in Youth Development and Leadership, an Early Childhood Education degree, and a Communications degree from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She completed her postdoctoral work in the Advanced Leadership program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She recently completed a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University. She is currently teaching Creative Activities for Youth, Designing Effective Youth Programs, Youth and Family, and Working with Diverse Youth at Clemson University. Dr. Johnson also teaches Creative Writing for Social Change at Clinton College and is a course facilitator for the Leading Learning, Managing Evidence, and Leading with Equity and Excellence courses at Harvard University in the Graduate School of Education.
Moderator: Dr. Deborah Bergeron

Dr. B served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.

Webinar: How Child Welfare and Early Head Start Can Work Together
2023-08-16 14:00 - 15:00
This workshop will highlight opportunities for Early Head Start and child welfare organizations to better collaborate at the local level on behalf of children and families. Presenters will examine barriers to the two systems working together and how they can be addressed, as well as partnership opportunities at the state and local levels. Discussion points will include: supporting kinship families; babies with exposure to drug and alcohol abuse; the intersection of poverty, neglect and child welfare involvement; economic support for families; workforce issues and more.
Presenters: Donna Pressma, The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ; Keith Liederman, Clover, New Orleans, LA; Leaders from the National Head Start Association, Julie Collins, Vice President for Practice Excellence Center at the Child Welfare League of America
Moderator: Dr. Deborah Bergeron, Deputy Director for Community Engagement and Innovation at NHSA

Data Literacy Credential Informational Webinar
2023-09-07 15:00 - 15:30
Curious about NHSA’s Data Literacy Certification? Data-driven quality improvement stands to bring unrivaled levels of performance to the Head Start field, and is defined and mandated by the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS). A leader or manager who completes this credential signals to their staff and the Office of Head Start that their program is committed to this level of performance.
In this 30-minute Data Literacy Credential information session, you will meet a course instructor and a certification graduate. We will also share information about the learning platform candidates will use, and the support that is provided to candidates as they work through the competencies. The end result is a certification that demonstrates how important data is for your program, and an achievement of which you can be very proud!
There will be an opportunity for Q&A so interested candidates can better understand the certification requirements and see themselves completing this certification.
Presenters:

Stuart Jones, Course Instructor, Acorn Evaluation, Inc
Jennifer Carroll, Data Literacy Credential Graduate, CAPNA
Leslie Scott, Data Literacy Credential Graduate, CAPNA

**Can’t attend at 3 p.m., check out the 6 p.m. time option!

Data Literacy Credential Informational Webinar (2nd time option)
2023-09-07 18:00 - 18:30
Curious about NHSA’s Data Literacy Certification? Data-driven quality improvement stands to bring unrivaled levels of performance to the Head Start field, and is defined and mandated by the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS). A leader or manager who completes this credential signals to their staff and the Office of Head Start that their program is committed to this level of performance.
In this 30-minute Data Literacy Credential information session, you will meet a course instructor and a certification graduate. We will also share information about the learning platform candidates will use, and the support that is provided to candidates as they work through the competencies. The end result is a certification that demonstrates how important data is for your program, and an achievement of which you can be very proud!
There will be an opportunity for Q&A so interested candidates can better understand the certification requirements and see themselves completing this certification.
Presenters:

Stuart Jones, Course Instructor, Acorn Evaluation, Inc
Jennifer Carroll, Data Literacy Credential Graduate, CAPNA
Leslie Scott, Data Literacy Credential Graduate, CAPNA

**Can’t attend at 6 p.m., check out the 3 p.m. time option!

Pre-Service Powerhouse
2023-09-12 16:00 - 16:30
Pre-Service Powerhouse: Onboarding Excellence with The Academy at NHSA
Join us for an informative webinar as we explore why Academy+ and The Academy at NHSA are the ultimate choices for pre-service training and onboarding for Head Start staff. In this session, we will delve into the unique features and advantages of these programs, emphasizing their alignment with the needs of Head Start professionals. We will highlight the diverse range of courses, webinars, and resources available through Academy+ and The Academy at NHSA.
One of the standout benefits of choosing The Academy at NHSA is the integration of professional development funds to support NHSA advocacy efforts. By choosing the Academy, your investment in the professional growth of your staff goes directly to support the advancement of the broader Head Start community. When you are a member of The Academy at NHSA family, your PD dollars support professional growth and work to advocate for policies and funding that benefit all Head Start programs nationwide.
This webinar will demonstrate why Academy+ and The Academy at NHSA are the premier choices for pre-service training and onboarding. Join us and discover how these programs can transform your professional journey while supporting the critical advocacy work of NHSA. Together, we can drive positive change and create brighter futures for all Head Start children and families.
For more information about The Academy at NHSA, please visit nhsa.org/the-academy.

Presenter:
Kristina Ellis, Director
Kristina is director of The Academy at NHSA. As a Head Start alum, Kristina’s interest in early childhood stems from a rich background in social services work and her commitment to early childhood education and family engagement. Before NHSA, Kristina worked for CAP Tulsa, one of the largest anti-poverty nonprofits in Oklahoma and a nationally recognized provider of research-based, high-quality early childhood education for low-income children.

Financial Wellness: Behavior Change Strategies (Option 1)
2023-09-14 14:00 - 14:30
Financial Wellness Thursdays with The Beans
Behavior change is not always easy, and it takes a little time, but knowing the stages of behavior change will make the process more successful and more fun.
Learn about The Beans’ highly rated professional development programs for improving your staffs’ financial wellness + make that change you’ve been thinking about for your own financial life!
Sponsored by:

Financial Wellness: Behavior Change Strategies (Option 2)
2023-09-14 18:00 - 18:30

Showcase Your Head Start Professionalism
2023-09-26 16:00 - 16:30
NHSA can help you showcase your Head Start professionalism (education, professional development, achievements, and more!) with our Digital Portfolio! Join us for a 30-minute training to learn how you can build and utilize your portfolio!
NHSA’s Digital Portfolio stores all of the professional development (PD) you complete within NHSA and all of the PD you complete outside of NHSA. Whether you complete a course, credential, certification, attend a webinar or conference, this easy to access, easy to share resource will be at your fingertips to showcase that work. Join us for this exciting webinar as we launch the Digital Portfolio and help you showcase your professionalism.
Moderator:

Dr. Deborah Bergeron (or Dr. B as she is known to students and educators) has spent over thirty years working to support the growth and development of children. She worked in public education as a middle and high school classroom teacher, an elementary and high school administrator and holds a school superintendents license in Virginia. Dr. B also started, grew and eventually sold her own supplemental educational services company. In 2018, Dr. Bergeron was asked to lead the Office of Head Start and the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. It was here where Dr. B developed her passion for Head Start, Early Head Start and the early learning environment in general. In January, 2021, Dr. B joined the National Head Start Association as the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Innovation. Here, she aims to bring the Head Start and Early Head Start community together, provide the necessary support to ensure high quality programming and be a constant reminder to the folks on the ground that THEY are the backbone of Head Start and Early Head Start. Dr. B advocates for programming that develops the whole child and embraces the value the family has in that process. “Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,” is her favorite mantra, compliments of Head Start. Dr. Bergeron holds a B.S.Ed. from Texas State University, a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership and a PhD in Education Policy and Education Psychology from George Mason University. She lives in Virginia with her husband and has four awesome children who, although are all grown up, will always be her heart!

Presenter:

Matt Marinsek is a Senior Manager of Marketing and Design for the National Head Start Association, where among various key projects, schedules, designs, and formats data and marketing emails for the organization’s various messaging to the field, helps compile the Digital Portfolio for The Academy, and more. Prior to joining NHSA, Matt worked for various companies and industries serving in marketing and leadership capacities, and served key leadership roles in non-profit leadership development organizations during and after his undergraduate time at New Mexico State University. Matt enjoys brushing up on the latest tech trends, and teaching others how the latest innovations in digital technology can enhance others’ careers and lives.

EHS Advocacy: Turning Alumni into Advocates
2023-09-27 14:00 - 15:00
Early Head Start alumni are the most powerful advocates.
As part of the Early Head Start Rising Advocacy series, Preparing Your Head Start Alumni to be Advocates, will share tips and techniques to help you cultivate a culture of alumni becoming advocates on behalf of Head Start. There are powerful ways to engage your alumni and capture their testimonies. Together you all can advance the critical mission of Head Start / Early Head Start.
Presenter:
Malkia Payton-Jackson, Director of Alumni Engagement
Head Start Alum, Malkia Payton-Jackson, who is NHSA’s first-ever director of alumni engagement. Back in Cambridge, Head Start is where she made her first best friend — and now, she’s inviting Head Start alumni to connect with one another, share their unique stories, and help keep Head Start strong for generations to come.

Lifting Up Diverse Family Voices in Head Start Programs
2023-09-27 16:00 - 17:00
In Head Start programs, parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) strategies are systemic, integrated, and comprehensive, and “family engagement is everyone’s business.” In order to engage with families effectively, each program must establish strong foundations and empower all staff to aid in a shared mission.
Through the organizational culture and systems, all staff should be empowered with the fundamentals to engage in reflective practice and go deep in understanding each family, advocating for the inclusion of diverse family voices throughout each corner of the program.
In this session we will explore how integrating family voice helps programs meet Head Start Performance standards and shows up in the PFCE framework, and the roles that Head Start professionals play in this process.
We will explore:

The Why: According to the research, why incorporating family voice is important for positive family and child outcomes
The What: What families say is important to them, including real-life examples from the voices of Head Start families
The How: How direct service staff can authentically incorporate family voice into their work

Participants will get take-home resources to help them engage in self-reflection and begin the process to incorporate more family voice into the next program year.
Presenters:
Sandy Oceguera, is the Sr. Data Product Manager at NHSA. Her background includes 5 years in social services and 5 years in big data analytics lending her a unique perspective in utilizing and developing NHSA’s data products, including Parent Gauge, usefulness for the field. Sandy holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Colorado State University with a specialization in public and nonprofit management.

Mallary Swartz, Ph.D., Senior Director of Learning and Impact at ParentPowered and an applied researcher in family engagement and early childhood. She has spent 20 years cultivating relationships, managing partnerships, and leading research, evaluation, and innovation projects at family-focused organizations such as Start Early, Fred Rogers Productions, and Brazelton Touchpoints Center. Mallary also served as Co-Principal Investigator for the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. She has a Ph.D. in Child Development from Tufts University, an M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.A. from Duke University.

EHS Best Practice: Earning Your CDA in Spanish
2023-10-04 14:00 - 15:00
NHSA supports anyone who wants to achieve their CDA, in English and in Spanish!
