Page 6 - PROGRAM IMPACT AND SATIFACTION AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF HEAD START PARENTS

Most parents (10 or 40.0%) who had a difficult time receiving or contacting a service or resource referred to them by a Head Start Family Advocate indicated that they had difficulty because there were no available spaces or there was a long wait list. Counseling or family counseling was the service or resource most requested by parents. A greater percentage of Spanish-speaking parents (67.9%) reported that they had difficulty, compared to English-speaking parents (32.1%). The highest percentage of parents who reported that they had difficulty in accessing a service or resource belonged to the Sherwood Head Start Center (17.9%).
Employment and Education
In terms of access to employment and education, most parents (74.3%) responded that they did not have difficulty finding a job or continuing their education. Of the 137 (16.3%) parents who did have difficulty, most (51.1%) indicated that a lack of reliable child care was a barrier to finding a job or continuing their education. Parents from the Zine Head Start Center had the greatest percentage of parents (25.0%) who indicated that they had difficulty finding a job or continuing their education.
Similar to results from the 2012-2013 End-of-the-Year Parent Survey, a greater percentage of English-speaking parents reported that they had a job or were going to school (12.8%) than Spanish-speaking parents (6.9%). More Spanish-speaking parents (59.1%) indicated that they had difficulty finding a job or continuing their education than English-speaking parents (40.9%). More than half of English-speaking parents who responded to this question (52.7%) reported that they had difficulty finding a job or continuing their education because of the lack of reliable child care. Similarly, Spanish-speaking parents also reported that they did not have reliable child care (50.0%). Additionally, 50.0% of Spanish-speaking parents who responded to this question also indicated that they had difficulty because they did not have legal documentation.
PARTICIPATION
Of 864 parents who responded to a question regarding their involvement in Head Start meetings, trainings, and events, 338 (39.1%) indicated that they had difficulty in participating. A slightly greater percentage of Spanish-speaking parents (51.2%) indicated that they had difficulty in participating than English-speaking parents (48.8%). Parents most often cited that their work or school schedule interfered with their ability to participate (62.2%). Furthermore, parents indicated that they preferred to participate in Head Start committee meetings, trainings and events held in Spanish (49.1%) and during the morning hours (52.5%).
CCRC’s Head Start Parents December 2014
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Parents participate in a nutrition information event at Vallarta Supermarkets led by a Head Start staff member.