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Section II
1.0 Introduction to the Parent Interview
1.1 Overview
Since the initial conceptualizations of the program, families have always maintained a central position within the Head Start program philosophy. This is emphasized by the program’s formal focus on families, particularly parents, within the Head Start Program Performance Standards (ACYF, 1998). Under the heading of Family Partnership (Section 1304.40), the Program Performance Standards detail a set of requirements that address the following:
- Family goal setting;
- Accessing community services and resources;
- Services to pregnant women;
- Parent involvement in child development and education;
- Parent involvement in health, nutrition, and mental health education;
- Parent involvement in community advocacy;
- Parent involvement in transition activities; and
- Parent involvement in home visits.
With low-income populations shifting in both makeup and geographical location, along with changes in the availability of work and services for these individuals and families, the profile of what was thought to be the typical Head Start family has changed over the past decade. With that in mind, the primary goal of this study was to make updated information available to Head Start regarding the families it serves. The information needed to meet this goal was collected through the administration of a comprehensive interview to the parents of selected Head Start children.
Research Questions
The content development of the parent interview was guided by the following research questions that were generated by Head Start in an attempt to learn more about the families entering the program.
- What are the demographic characteristics of Head Start families?
- What are the families’ previous and current experiences with child care and family support services?
- What are parents’ and teachers’ assessments of the children's functioning and capabilities?
- What are parents’ beliefs, behaviors and satisfaction regarding their child-rearing role?
- What are sources of social support for Head Start families?
- What are barriers to full parent participation in Head Start?
- What is the level of parental satisfaction with Head Start?
Content of the Parent Interview
Based on the research questions, the parent interview instrument was developed using questions and scales from previous studies with similar populations, and with considerable input from ACYF staff and the investigators from the Head Start Quality Research Centers (1995-2000). The instrument contained questions grouped around the following topics:
- Descriptive family and household information;
- The family and Head Start;
- Family activities with the child;
- Child disabilities;
- Child activities and behavior;
- Household rules;
- Employment and income;
- Community services;
- Child care;
- Family health and safety;
- Home and neighborhood characteristics; and
- Personal feelings.
1.2 Organization
Section II contains a description of the elements of the parent interview and results of analyses of the information obtained from Head Start families. Chapter 2.0 covers the methodology of the FACES study. Chapter 3.0 presents descriptive findings on the sample of Head Start children, while Chapter 4.0 has more detailed descriptive information on the Head Start families, including mothers and fathers, as well as the households in general. The functioning of Head Start families is covered in Chapter 5.0, while Chapter 6.0 explores how family members were involved with their Head Start children. Chapter 7.0 presents a review of findings about the families’ involvement with the Head Start program and Chapter 8.0 presents descriptive information on three subgroups: Families of children with disabilities, Hispanic families, and families with grandparents as primary caregivers.
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