HS/EHS Enrollment

HS/EHS START FULL ENROLLMENT INITIATIVE

Have you received a letter from the Office of Head Start that indicates your Head Start or Early Head Start program is significantly underenrolled?

Foundations for Families can help you think strategically about what to do next.

It’s no secret that the child care sector is facing enrollment challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of Head Start reports that nationally, enrollment for Head Start programs is 78% and 79% for Early Head Start.

Teachers and support staff across the country have left programs in record numbers, and there are not enough qualified people to take their place. As a result, many classrooms remain closed which continues to impact programs’ capacity to reach total funded enrollment. At the same time, community needs and numbers of eligible children may have shifted.

The 12-month period for determining chronic underenrollment starts 10 calendar days from the date the Underenrollment Letter is sent. Foundations for Families can work with your team to develop a strategy, action plan, and timetable for reducing or eliminating underenrollment and mitigating the risk of losing funding. Additional support could include evaluating staffing challenges and ERSEA practices, updating data sources needed for decision-making (e.g., Community Assessment; Wage Comparability Study), assessing your overall program design, and assisting with the development of a Change in Scope Request.