When the Head Start Program Performance Standards were revised last year, there were changes to community assessment requirements about when a full update to the report is necessary. Programs must complete a comprehensive community assessment once during the five-year grant period, and an update is only required if significant changes are identified during an annual review. How can a program determine if there are significant changes, particularly if only a few data points must be examined in the annual review? Here, we explore this question and provide strategies for how to leverage the annual review as a meaningful planning tool.
The annual review of the community assessment is key to understanding if a full update is needed. The Performance Standards state that the annual review must consider, at a minimum, children and families experiencing homelessness and changes to the availability of publicly-funded pre-kindergarten, in addition to other areas (e.g., self-assessment results, annual funding application). If there are any significant changes in these or other areas, an update should be completed.
In order to know if there have been significant shifts in community need, it’s necessary to review more data than what the Performance Standards require. Choosing which data points to examine is a balance between implementing a less burdensome process that reduces the need for a complete update and ensuring you’re looking at enough data to assess if there have been significant changes.
Consider key data points. We recommend that the annual review include data related to population, poverty, and social and economic factors, as these areas can provide a helpful glimpse into community needs. We also recommend that, as part of the annual review, programs update community assessment data tables related to eligible children and agencies serving eligible children. These two sections are essential to understanding if the program continues to meet the need for high-quality early learning services.
Data related to population, poverty, and income-eligible children, can be quickly updated using the Explore Census Data (U.S. Census Bureau). Next month, the U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to release the 2020-2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. This gives programs access to the most extensive and reliable data on local poverty rates and the number of individuals living in poverty, which can be used for estimating the number of eligible children.
Use your expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of community needs to inform the annual review. For example, if in recent years community data has showed consistent health challenges, you can expect some level of consistency in data. If your observations of community need and what you hear from families also confirm this, related data points probably do not need to be updated as part of your annual review.
Use the annual review as an opportunity to check in on concerning trends. If your recent community assessment showed concerning trends in need, the annual review is an opportunity to see if those needs remain. For instance, in many communities, rental costs have skyrocketed in recent years, exacerbating challenges with families accessing affordable housing. In some communities, similar trends have been noted with food insecurity. Updating data points that stood out in your last community assessment can help to show that the most pressing needs remain.
Be mindful of federal priorities and use the annual review to enhance data. From year to year, you might find there are data points you would like to add to your community assessment. In your annual review, you can do just that. Document new information that will be useful to your program. Consider federal priorities to ensure you have data that will allow your program to be responsive to guidance or new funding opportunities. For example, if your community assessment doesn’t include data about charter schools and faith-based programs, you could gather this information to equip your program with knowledge that will support efforts related to community partnerships and parent choice.
Foundations for Families offers a variety of consulting services to state and community-based organizations, including community action program action programs and Head Start. If your agency needs assistance understanding or meeting the needs of your community, we may be able to help. Please reach out and we would be glad to discuss your program’s needs.
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