Secondary Analyses of Head Start and Early Head Start Data

Overview

<p>The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is soliciting applications for Secondary Analyses of Data on Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) grants. Analyzing existing data sets may provide researchers an efficient and cost-effective method for answering critical research questions. This funding opportunity aims to support researchers conducting secondary analyses of data to address key questions of relevance to HS, EHS, American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN), and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs. Findings are intended to inform policy, program administration, and future research. Researchers may conduct secondary analyses of survey, program evaluation, or administrative data. Data sets from primary research and evaluation may also be candidates for secondary analyses. A data set may be used by itself or linked with other data sets to best address the research questions proposed.</p> <p><strong>Description</strong><br>HS programs serve children (ages birth to 5) and pregnant women from low-income families and offer early learning; and nutritional, health, social, family well-being, and other services. HS programs are delivered through direct grants from the federal government to agencies in local communities throughout the nation that provide services in centers, schools, family child care homes, and through home visiting. HS programs are available at no cost to children from low-income families. Families and children experiencing homelessness, and children in the foster care system are also eligible. Additionally, services are available to children with disabilities and other special needs.</p> <p>HS programs provide services to more than a million children every year, in every U.S. state and territory, in farm worker camps, and tribal communities. “HS” includes several different program types reflecting the needs of specific populations within the community. These include HS programs serving families with children 3 to 5 years old, EHS programs serving pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers, AIAN HS programs serving families in tribal communities, and MSHS programs serving families engaged in migrant and seasonal farmwork.</p> <p>This grant opportunity will provide funding to address key questions of relevance to HS programs, inclusive of HS, EHS, AIAN HS, and MSHS programs. Findings are intended to inform policy, program administration, and future research.</p> <p><strong>The following specific goals of the grants are to:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Address topics of current relevance to the goals and outcomes of HS programs;</li> <li>Encourage active communication, networking, and collaboration among prominent HS researchers and policymakers; and</li> <li>Increase the capacity of HS researchers to analyze existing data sets and disseminate their findings to multiple audiences.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Topics of particular interest to ACF include, but are not limited to, the following:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Building, recruiting, and retaining a qualified HS workforce;</li> <li>Promoting equity and improvements in approaches to reach, recruit, enroll, and sustain families, particularly those most in need of HS services;</li> <li>Supporting the unique strengths and needs of MSHS and AIAN HS children, families, and staff;</li> <li>Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of new or expansion of existing HS or EHS programs;</li> <li>Quality measurement and continuous quality improvement processes;</li> <li>COVID-19 pandemic impact, response, and recovery;</li> <li>Improving HS staff competencies through professional development;</li> <li>Coordination and collaboration between HS and state, territory, or local early care and education or social service systems;</li> <li>Supports and services for families experiencing homelessness, families involved in the child welfare system, and for children with disabilities;</li> <li>Supporting the wellness of staff in the HS workforce;</li> <li>Costs associated with delivering HS services and blending/braiding of funding sources;</li> <li>Identifying practices or experiences within HS programs that drive child and family outcomes; and</li> <li>Approaches to engage, support, and meet the health, mental health, economic self-sufficiency, and other needs of HS families.</li> </ul> <p>ACF is particularly interested in secondary analyses that examine the above topics with an equity and strength-based lens and provide insights into the experiences of HS staff and families from historically underserved or marginalized communities.</p> <p><strong>Data sets that are well suited for secondary analyses on the above topics include, but are not limited to, the following:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014-2017 (FACES 2014-2017);</li> <li>Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (FACES 2019);</li> <li>Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study 2017 (MSHS Study 2017);</li> <li>Early Head Start Family and Child Experience Survey 2018 (Baby FACES 2018);</li> <li>American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015 (AIAN FACES 2015);</li> <li>American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2019 (AIAN FACES 2019);</li> <li>National Descriptive Study of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP);</li> <li>National Survey of Early Care and Education 2019;</li> <li>Office of Head Start Program Information Report (PIR); or</li> <li>Preschool Development Grants B-5 state or territory grant recipient administrative data.</li> </ul> <p>Many of the data sets listed above, as well as other potentially relevant data sets, are available through the Child and Family Data Archive. Primary research and evaluation data sets may also be appropriate candidates for secondary analysis. Data sets may be used by themselves or linked.</p>