Head Start Collaboration Offices (HSCO) exist “to facilitate collaboration among Head Start agencies …and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low-income children from birth to school entry, and their families1. They provide a structure and a process for OHS to work and partner with State agencies and local entities to leverage their common interests around young children and their families to formulate, implement, and improve state and local policies and practices. To be effective, the HSCO director must hold a full-time position of sufficient authority and access to ensure effective collaboration involves a range of State Agencies2.
The Office of Head Start (OHS) established four priority areas to guide the work of Head Start Collaboration Offices (HSCOs).
Priority 1Priority 2Priority 3Priority 4
Collaborate with state systems to align early care and education services and supports for children and families prenatally to age 5. Collaborate across systems to support health, mental health, and social-emotional well-being.
Here are some examples:
- Home visiting
- Comprehensive service delivery
- Services and support for children who are experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, children with disabilities, and children who are dual language learners quality improvements
- School readiness initiatives
- State background check systems
- Child care
- Child welfare
- Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships
- Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Health Integration Prenatal-to-3 Programs
Work with state efforts to collect and use data on early childhood programs to guide decision-making and improve child and family outcomes. Support appropriate access to and use of data to guide decision-making and to improve outcomes in areas such as coordinated eligibility and disparities in access to services.
Support expanding and accessing high-quality workforce and career development opportunities for staff. Work with state professional development systems, workforce registries, career pathways, and higher education institutions to promote expansion and high-quality career development opportunities.
Coordinate with school systems to ensure appropriate continuity and alignment across programs. Promote continuity of services, program alignment, and support for successful transitions, particularly with state preschool, kindergarten, and Title I, McKinney-Vento, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs.
State and Regional Priorities
According to the Head Start Act, HSCOs (Head Start Collaboration Offices) “facilitate collaboration among Head Start agencies and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low-income children from birth to school entry, and their families (Sec. 642(B)(a)(2)(A)).” They provide structure and a process for OHS (Office of Head Start) to work and partner with state agencies and local entities to leverage their common interests around young children and their families to formulate, implement, and improve state and local policies and practices.
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State Collaboration
The methods by which Head Start Collaboration offices coordinate and lead efforts for diverse entities to work together include:
- Communication: Convene stakeholder groups for information sharing, planning, and partnering and serve as a conduit of information between regional offices and the State and local early childhood systems.
- Access: Facilitate Head Start agencies’ access to and utilization of appropriate entities so Head Start children and families can secure needed services and formalize critical partnerships.
- Systems: Support policy, planning, partnerships, and implementation of cross-agency State systems for early childhood, including the State Advisory Council, that include and serve the Head Start community.
1 Head Start Act Section 642(B)(a)(2)(A)
2 Head Start Act Section 642(B)(a)(3)(B)