Page 27 - PROGRAM IMPACT AND SATIFACTION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF HEAD START PARENTS

PARTICIPATION
Ensuring that CCRC cultivates an environment in which parents feel welcomed and comfortable to participate is a crucial component of the Head Start Program. Because Head Start staff want to make sure it is doing everything possible to engage parents in their child’s education, parents were asked what, if anything, prevents them from participating in committee meetings, trainings, and Head Start events.
A total of 864 (96.4%) parents answered whether they have had difficulty participating in Head Start committee meetings, trainings or events. Of 864 parents, 338 (39.1%) indicated that they had difficulty in participating. Of these parents, 314 (92.8%) were parents, as opposed to legal guardians (6%), foster parents (2.1%), grandparents (1.2%), or other participants who had a different relationship with the Head Start child (0.6%). Of the 314 parents who had difficulty participating, 277 (88.2%) were mothers, and 37 (11.8%) were fathers. Furthermore, a slightly higher percentage of Spanish-speaking parents (51.2%) indicated that they had difficulty in participating than English-speaking parents (48.8%).
Parents most often indicated that they had difficulty in participating because their work or school schedule interfered (62.2%). Although this was the most popular response among both English and Spanish-speaking parents, English-speaking parents (57.1%) were more likely to select this response than Spanish-speaking parents (42.9%). Chart 15 illustrates the barriers to participation Head Start parents experienced.
CHART 15: Barriers to participating in Head Start meetings, events and trainings
CCRC’s Head Start Parents Page | 24 December 2014