Head start: Challenges and training needs

Head Start is the largest program providing comprehensive educational, health, and social services to young children and their families in poverty and is an important player in the early childhood service delivery system. This article summarizes the results of a needs assessment of Head Start programs in one region in the nation. Three important challenges were identified: (a) serving young children with emotional-behavior issues, (b) working with families, and (c) working with community institutions. The paper focuses on a midwestern state, presenting interview information that confirms trends found in survey data from the whole region. As collaboration between early childhood programs serving children with disabilities becomes more prevalent, the challenges facing Head Start are a concern for the early childhood community.