HEAD START RECRUITER'S KIT: REACHING CULTURALLY DIVERSE FAMILIES

RESULTS OF A NATIONAL STUDY ON HEAD START RECRUITMENT AND ENROLLMENT PRACTICES SUGGEST THAT THE INCREASING CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE NATION CREATE NEW CHALLENGES FOR PROGRAMS AS THEY CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE FAMILIES IN GREATEST NEED OF SERVICES. AS THE POPULATION SHIFTS, SO WILL THE NEEDS OF RECRUITERS IF THEY ARE TO SUCCESSFULLY REACH THE FAMILIES HEAD START IS INTENDED TO SERVE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT INVOLVES RESEARCH AND PLANNING LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPE OF A RECRUITMENT KIT TO BE USED BY HEAD START PROGRAMS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES AND COLLABORATING AGENCIES. ALL MATERIALS DEVELOPED UNDER THIS CONTRACT WILL BE CREATED WITH DIRECT CONSULTATION FROM HEAD START PRACTITIONERS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF PHASE I ARE TO IDENTIFY 1) THE STRENGTHS OF CURRENT HEAD START RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES, 2) THE BARRIERS FACED IN RECRUITING THOSE HARDEST TO REACH, AND 3) THE TOOLS AND TRAINING MATERIALS MOST HELPFUL IN OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS. THE WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING MATERIALS TO BE DEVELOPED WILL BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND WRITTEN AT A LITERACY LEVEL APPROPRIATE FOR THE AUDIENCE FOR WHOM THEY ARE INTENDED. MATERIALS WILL BE AIMED AT THREE AUDIENCES: TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR STAFF, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH SCHOOLS AND COLLABORATING AGENCIES, AND FAMILIES.