| Head
Start Enrollment Administering
Organization
Catholic Social Services (CSS), Refugee Resettlement Office of
the Diocese of Charlotte, Inc.
Program Objectives and Unique
Needs Addressed
This program was designed to assist refugee parents with the placement
of their children in the local Head Start program. Initially,
CSS-RO Charlotte incorporated childcare with English language
development courses for adults but there were not enough resources
to provide the appropriate space and staff for a childcare program,
fostering the need for a formalized program.
Program Description
The Head Start Enrollment program assists with the required paperwork
to enroll the children in Head Start. CSS-RO Charlotte also coordinates
an orientation for the parents at the Head Start facility with
language appropriate interpreters. During the orientation the
children are watched by Head Start teachers in a Head Start classroom,
familiarizing them with the staff and facility.
ransportation to the orientation is provided by Head Start on
a bus, again to familiarize parents and children with the bus
system. Staff (including interpreters) from the CSS-RO Charlotte
accompany parents to the Parent/Teacher conferences, held once
during the school year.
After the children are enrolled, the ESL coordinator from CSS-RO
Charlotte facilitates communication between Head Start staff and
the refugee parents.
Resource Materials Used in Program
Program Resources – Head Start program staff, in conjunction
with CSS-RRO interpreters, orient the parents to the program schedule,
transportation procedures, dress code, attendance, home visit
and conference policy, supportive services for families and nutrition
services offered by the facility. At the orientation, parents
are given the opportunity to ask questions through the interpreters.
Each family receives a Parent Handbook and Community Resource
Guide.
Groups Served by Program
Serves refugee families with three and four year old children
in the Charlotte, North Carolina metro area. Populations served
include: Somali Bantu, Montagnard, Liberian, Hmong, Vietnamese,
and Cuban.
Last year the program served 6 refugee children but will undertake
services for 19 refugee children during 2006, including 5 who
will continue in the program from last year.
Program Funding
The English as a Second Language program is funded by various
grants including ORR funding for Preferred Communities and the
Targeted Assistance Grant (Formula). The ESL program also receives
funding from Private Foundations. Case management/interpretation
services receive funding from RAP (Refugee Assistance Program).
Funding for Head Start is provided by the Federal Government.
Program Staffing and Required
Staff Training
The ESL Coordinator for CSS spends about 10% of her time working
on the Head Start Enrollment program.
Program Additional Comments
One Somali Bantu child has shown a tremendous increase in his
language skills since attending the Head Start program. Before
attending, he spoke very little English (and his native language
skills were still emerging). This summer, he has been eagerly
playing with children throughout the neighborhood, communicating
fluently in both English and his native Maay-Maay.
Program Evaluation
Head Start evaluates the children enrolled; these evaluations
are shared with the parents and Resettlement Staff at the Parent/Teacher
conferences.
“Every Head Start program implements an appropriate child
assessment system that aligns with their curriculum and gathers
data on children's progress in each of the 8 Domains of learning
and development. At a minimum, because they are legislatively
mandated, programs analyze data on 4 specific Domain Elements
and 9 Indicators in various language, literacy, and numeracy skills.”
(Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, http://www.hsnrc.org/CDI/pdfs/UGCOF.pdf)
Program Outcomes
The nine indicators, or outcomes, that are legislatively
mandated for participants in Head Start Programs are:
Understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.
For non-English-speaking children, progresses in listening
to and understanding English.
Develops increasing abilities to understand and use language
to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions,
needs, questions and for other varied purposes.
Uses an increasingly complex and varied spoken vocabulary.
For non-English-speaking children, progresses in speaking
English.
Associates sounds with written words, such as awareness that
different words begin with the same sound.
Recognizes a word as a unit of print, or awareness that letters
are grouped to form words, and that words are separated by spaces.
Identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially
those in their own name.
Knows that letters of the alphabet are a special category
of visual graphics that can be individually named.
To view the complete list of outcome measurements for Head Start
programs, use the following URL, http://www.hsnrc.org/CDI/pdfs/UGCOF.pdf.
Other Key Elements
The ESL Coordinator researched child care in the area and discovered
Head Start could enroll 3-4 yr. olds at no cost to the refugee
families. She then developed working relationships and identified
several members of the Head Start staff as counterparts. The Family
and Community Partnership Program Manager, who was identified
early on as one such counterpart, agreed to list the refugee children
in Charlotte as priority placements, giving them preference over
other applicants.
Program Contact
Jennifer Girard
ESL Coordinator
Refugee Resettlement Office
1123 S. Church St.
Charlotte NC 28203
704-370-3255
Refugee_esl_clt@yahoo.com
Program Dates
This program began in 2005; it is still operating. |
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