Page 49 - PROGRAM IMPACT AND SATIFACTION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF HEAD START PARENTS

Six parents wrote curriculum-related suggestions. Parents recommend that the program increase the amount of time spent on academics that prepare children for kindergarten, such as reading, writing, and learning the alphabet and sounds of the letters.
Two parents composed comments related to staff and teachers. One parent wrote, “I feel the program stresses the staff out in a way that they become all pushy toward parents.” Another parent stated, “Make sure teachers are prepared to work with children.”
Other suggestions parents wrote included:
 A bigger location with more open space for children to run
 A greater variety of healthy foods for the children
Figure 9 in the Appendix presents select comments written by parents from the Osborne Head Start Center.
Reseda
More than half of all parents from the Reseda Head Start Center (55.2%) provided a comment regarding what staff can do to improve its program. Of the 37 parents who provided a comment, 35.1% stated that they did not have a comment or that the program is great. One parent wrote, “I think that you did everything from your part. You invested all your work in making sure the children progressed.”
Eleven parents wrote comments related to parent engagement or the relationship between staff and parents. Parents suggested that the Reseda Head Start program invest in strategies to encourage parent participation in meetings, events, workshops, the classroom and volunteer opportunities. One parent suggested that participation should be mandatory, while two parents recommended that the program offer meetings in the afternoon or evening to accommodate parents who are unable to attend morning meetings. More interaction with and inclusion of parents was recommended. A parent wrote that staff should involve parents in everything that relates to the children, while another recommends creating a suggestion box or obtaining feedback from parents through more frequent surveys. One parent suggested that staff creates more family-friendly activities. The parent wrote, “Field trips, family gatherings to get families more involved. Weekend picnics and so on so that the children can be around other children they go to school with.” Furthermore, parents would like the program to provide more information about their child’s needs and to continue supporting families who have a member with physical or mental disabilities. One parent explains, “More interaction between the speech therapist and parents [is needed]. There wasn’t any communication with the parents. [Staff] would only inform me that [the speech therapist] would practice with my daughter but I never met her.”
Five parents indicated that improvements can be made to the curriculum. Parents would like teachers to provide more homework or another activity like worksheets on a daily basis for the child to do at home. Another parent suggests that children should receive more practice in reading and math. Two parents suggested that the program could include the celebration of traditions and holidays.
CCRC’s Head Start Parents Page | 46 December 2014