Head Start
The Gravely Group 2022 Year in Review
If you only read one of The Gravely Group’s blogs each year, our annual Year in Review should be it. Each year, we do a recap of all the articles we put out throughout the year, as well as give a few other highlights from our trainings and travels. After nearly three years of uncertainty,…
Helping Families to Support Positive Behaviors
Every month, we receive an email from the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) that includes recent announcements from the Office of Head Start, as well as information on any resources that have been recently posted or updated in the knowledge center. If you don’t receive ECKLC’s emails, we highly recommend signing up. The…
Back to Basics: Nutrition in Head Start
In Columbus, Ohio, where The Gravely Group is located, the city council voted last week to remove the city-wide mask mandate. Columbus Public School District, Ohio’s largest, did the same, removing any mask requirements for both children and staff. Experts are stating publicly that this might be the beginning of the end of the pandemic,…
Considering Head Start’s Place in Black History
Every year, Black History Month is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions that black Americans have made to American history. It was first recognized as a national educational initiative by Gerald Ford in 1976. In researching for this blog, I myself learned some things about the history of Black History Month and how it…
How to Recruit Head Start Staff During a Labor Shortage
Early childhood education programs across the country face unprecedented shortages in staff, a problem that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The child care industry employment rate is down more than 10 percent from pre-pandemic levels and child care staff hiring has become more challenging than ever, as the Office of Head Start (OHS)…
Putting together a COVID-19 vaccine policy for your Head Start program
As of the writing of this blog, approximately 44% of Americans 18 and over have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with one of the three approved vaccines, with an additional 20% say they plan on getting it soon. So what about the other 30-40%? For the past few weeks, vaccine rates have been slowing down.…
American Rescue Plan to Provide Additional Support for Head Start Programs, Families
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law early last month by President Joe Biden, and will provide direct support and greater access to benefits for children and families struggling financially during the pandemic. Out of the $1.9 trillion passed through legislation, $1 billion will go to Head Start and Early Head Start programs…
OHS Announces Additional Funding & Flexibility for Head Start during COVID-19
Last week, we watched a recorded webinar called “Fiscal Management During the COVID-19 Emergency.” The webinar, which first aired on May 22, featured Office of Head Start (OHS) Director, Dr. Deborah Bergeron, explaining the additional funding available through the CARES Act and how that funding will be distributed in the coming months. She opened the…
Partnering with Your Local Receiving Schools
As a Head Start leader, building relationships within your local receiving schools is one of the best ways to both understand and plan for the process of transitioning a child from Head Start to kindergarten. However, as with most things, that doesn’t just happen automatically or overnight. It takes time to form a plan, and…
Head Start and Sesame Street are natural partners
We received an email from the ECLKC a couple weeks ago, which promoted their February vlog titled “Home is Where the Love Is: Homelessness, Children and Families.” In that vlog, Dr. Deborah Bergeron, the Director of Head Start, visits the iconic Sesame Street studios to talk to Kama Einhorn, creator of Lily, a muppet character…