Talking Points
About Talking Points
Foundations for Families brings expertise, academic credentials, up-to-date research and regulatory knowledge to you. Working with others, we learn more about what’s important. With a mission to promote excellence in early childhood education, FFF believes that bringing more voices to the table makes for richer conversation.
This blog is a forum for thought leaders in early childhood education. We invite them to share their multi-disciplinary perspectives in 0-8 education.
Foundations for Families was created to meet the business, management and professional development needs of early childhood educational providers and systems.

Written Policies and Procedures Align Service Delivery and Compliance
Earlier this summer, we published a blog post about how well-defined policies and procedures can help new and experienced staff to understand their role and support program monitoring. Documenting policies and procedures, particularly following rapid changes that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, is foundational to providing support for staff. And, federal updates have added a layer for programs to consider. We understand that during the last two years many programs have not had the...
How Climate Change and Natural Disasters Shape Community Needs
Environmental risks are one of the many factors that influence community health. Climate change is increasing the intensity and duration of weather-related disasters, which occur alongside other natural threats such as earthquakes. All communities have some level of risk, and understanding those risks is important.
Support New and Experienced Staff with Well-defined Policies and Procedures
Developing and maintaining up-to-date policies and procedures is essential for any Head Start/Early Head Start program. It is important because they are foundational to a program’s operation and they provide a guide for staff – new and experienced – that helps to ensure clarity and consistency in program implementation.
Environmental Risk Factors Contribute to Community Health Needs
Environmental risks can range from natural disasters and climate change to pollution and air quality. These factors play an important role in the overall health and wellbeing of communities and can vary widely across geographic areas. Certain environmental health factors – like pollution and unsafe drinking water – disproportionately impact low-income communities, and children and pregnant women are at particularly high risk of health problems.
Annual Report Brings Together Program and Community Data
Head Start annual reporting is established in Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), Section §1302.102(d)(2), and requires programs to include a summary of a program’s most recent community assessment. The report must also comply with the Head Start Act. In this blog post, we’ll explore the intersection of HSPPS and the Act and how your program can use the annual report as an opportunity to show need across the service area and within your program.
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