What did Early Head Start programs do to increase child care availability and quality?
Programs demonstrated many innovative practices to enhance child care quality on site and in community settings (ACF, 2002; Love, Raikes, Paulsell, and Kisker, in press). Some of these innovations included achieving accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); forming expanded partnerships with community child care providers; making child care staffing and facility changes to meet the performance standards; developing systems for ongoing quality monitoring; visiting Early Head Start children in community child care settings; providing many training opportunities for Early Head Start and community providers; forming new collaborations within communities; and working to maximize resources from multiple funding sources, including government subsidies. Many of these practices are ongoing, and innovative practices seem to evolve as partnerships mature over time.
