Page 51 - PROGRAM IMPACT AND SATIFACTION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF HEAD START PARENTS

Sepulveda
Of 74 parents who submitted a survey from Sepulveda Head Start Center, 66.2% provided a response. Over 70% of parents who responded indicated that they did not have suggestions or were satisfied with the program.
Seven parents wrote comments related to parent meetings or engagement. Recommendations included meetings that were more explicit and address more areas. Parents would also like staff to work on increasing parent participation in meetings. A parent commented that involvement needs to be improved, stating that “volunteer hours should be enforced.” Another parent suggested that more classes and workshops should be available during the day.
Four parents indicated that more class time could improve the program, while another parent wrote that the program could improve if the curriculum remained consistent during the entire year. The parent suggested, “Work with the letters and numbers in projects like in the beginning of the year. There was less dedication at the end.”
Other recommendations included:
 More coordination and communication
 Bathrooms built or opened so that parents could use them when necessary
See Figure 12 in the Appendix for a select list of comments written by parents from the Sepulveda Head Start Center.
Sherwood
Over 70% of parents from Sherwood who submitted a survey provided a response regarding improvements to their Head Start program. More than half of the parents from Sherwood who responded (51.9%) did not provide a comment or indicated that they were satisfied with the program. Parents expressed content with their child’s growth and learning. Parents also stated that the program staff should continue being kind, showing concern for the children’s well-being and communicating with and supporting parents.
Nearly 20% of parents wrote comments related to parent engagement and communication. Parents suggest that the staff at Sherwood develop more ways of involving parents and encouraging them to participate in their child’s education both in the classroom and at home. One parent suggested creating evening activities to allow parents to participate after work. Another parent wrote as an example, “cooking activities with the child at home.” More individualized help for parents was also suggested and one parent recommended “More educational trainings that parents can attend with their children.” This finding coincides with the 2014-2015 Head Start and Early Head Start Parent Training Survey Report which showed that Sherwood had a high percentage of parents (62.4%) who requested information and training on parent volunteer orientations.
Parents would like staff and teachers to communicate better with them. One parent wrote that staff should first contact the parent when an issue arises with a child, rather than contacting the police. Two parents commented that the program can improve its safety by checking who is picking up kids from school, asking for proof of identification, and adding security to the entrance of the school.
CCRC’s Head Start Parents Page | 48 December 2014