NACOG Head Start

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NACOG Head Start The Enrollment Express

• Sonya Montoya Social Services Manager
• Pre-Service
• August 23, 2005

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Once Upon A Time.

• Chug. chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong,
  ding-dong. The little NACOG Head Start
  Enrollment Train rumbled over the tracks.

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• She was a happy little train for she had such a
  wonderful load of enrolled children to carry to
  her center home base programs, and more still
  to pick-up soon.
• There were little boys and girls ages 0-5, and
  prenatal mothers first time parents. All were
  excited and ready to meet their teachers and
  visitors and talked constantly of their
  excitement to their Box Car Drivers Monitors.

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• The box cars also contained completed home tasks
  of all kinds, RIF books read by parents at night,
  and permission slips for the nature walks planned
  for the day so as to celebrate the successful
  completion of the NRS tests of the previous days.
• Other cars contained all sorts of good things for
  everyone to eat, because Susan had made sure that
  fresh oranges, bright red apples milk were
  ready for breakfast, lunches, and snacks.

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• The little train was carrying all of these
  wonderful kids to Black Canyon City, Prescott
  Valley, Springerville Fredonia.
• She puffed along merrily. Then all of a sudden
  stopped with a jerk. She simply couldnt go
  another inch. Everyone pushed, pulled she tried,
  but her wheels would not turn.
• I cant go another inch to pick up the children
  for Flagstaff, Chino Valley, Ash Fork
  Cottonwood. I just dont have enough time, there
  is no other transportation to help me bring the
  children families to the track, and all of us
  have to review files paperwork before Central
  the Field Specialists arrive.

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• On the horizon a shiny new train was approaching.
  All of the staff children thought, Maybe he
  will help us! So everyone cried out to the
  shiny new engine, Can you help us to bring in
  the rest of the families children to sign up
  for enrollment? But the shiny new engine simply
  replied I already posted flyers last month.
  There arent anymore families left in our area.
  And off the engine went to rest recuperate.

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• While the children families were saddened by
  this, it wasnt long before another engine
  appeared. The excitement rose again, Can you
  help us to pick-up all of the new families for
  Head Start Early Head?
• But the new engine simply shook its head said,
  I dont know anything about enrollment income
  guidelines, and besides, everyone already knows
  about Head Start/Early Head Start anyway.

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• And now for a short pause in our story.

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Why Is Enrollment Such A Big Issue?

• Tax Dollars Accountability
• Pre-School 38.00/day
• EHS 49.00/day
• Performance Standard expectation is 100 with
  Waiting Lists
• Head Start is the Political Football
• We offer Quality

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At Stake

• Our Jobs
• Closure of classrooms
• Relocation of enrollment slots
• Loss of program funding being black-balled
• Loss of credibility
• Loss of partnerships
• Loss of facilities
• Families with little to no resources
• Communities with smaller economic bases

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Which Future Do You Choose?

• The future filled with continued services?

• The one with I remember when there was a program
  called NACOG Head Start

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You Have Tools

• Teams
• Creativity
• Community Support
• Central Office
• Statistics
• Heart Commitment
• Families
• ?????
• The Database

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You Your Database - HS

• 31 The information was left Blank
• 23 Returning families
• 19 Former Parents Students who came back to
  program
• 16 Brought in by Staff Contact
• 12 Referred by their Friends
• 9 Sent to us by someone
• in their own family
• 8 Referrals by your
• Community Agencies

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The Rest of the Database - HS

• 3 were Parent Referrals
• 3 Drove By Walked-In
• 2 were School Referrals
• Flyers
• Already Knew About Us
• Door-to-Door
• CPS Referrals
• Bulletin Boards
• Brochures
• Radio/Newspaper/Phone Book
• Landlord/Store/Internet

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And EHS?

• 31 Blank
• 31 Staff Referrals (HS Staff, Programs from
  outside the State)
• 21 School Referrals
• 15 Community Agencies

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The Rest of EHS.

• 10 Returning Families
• 9 Parents in the Program
• 6 Already Knew
• 4 Head Start Parents
• Newspaper
• Flyers

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Reauthorization Our Future

• Its uncertain
• It may mean an increase in the Poverty
  Guidelines, or not.
• It may mean that 95 enrollment is O.K., or not.
• It may mean a monthly national enrollment
  reporting system, or not.
• It may mean that parents no longer will have a
  say in the program (NACDAB) and that an
  independent board may tell us our eligibility
  criteria, or not.

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Reauthorization Our Future

• It may mean that programs can hire staff based on
  their religious preferences that its not
  discrimination. or not.
• It may mean that one issue of enrollment may be
  deemed a deficiency immediately, or not.
• An enrollment deficiency may mean we have to
  re-compete with anyone else interested in Head
  Start within 1 3 years, or not.

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Back to the Story .

• The ending is up to you to write. My ending will
  include
• 100 enrollment with Waiting Lists
• A Shared Responsibility
• Fun
• Taking It Seriously as to the Consequences of Not
  Reaching Our Goals

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The NACOG Head Start/Early Head Start Enrollment
Express Coming Soon