ACF OPRE: Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES)

Section IV

1.0 Introduction to the Case Study

1.1 Overview

The goal of the Family and Child Experiences Study (FACES) case study was to provide a more complete profile of Head Start families and children, their homes, neighborhoods, and communities, and their interactions with Head Start. In this regard, the FACES case study sought to describe the family as a whole (the family as the unit of analysis) as well as to describe the relevant features of the family's context.

The role of the case study within the context of FACES was to 1) support and expand on the findings in the larger FACES study, 2) pursue research questions independent of the larger study, and 3) generate hypotheses for future research with Head Start families. Given its multiple purposes, the FACES case study demanded a unique design that focused on representativeness, had a large enough sample size to draw inferences across cases, and used multiple in-depth descriptive data collection methods and measures. Therefore, the case study included in-depth cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive data, both qualitative and quantitative, collected by multiple methods of inquiry (including interviews, observations, home visits, and monthly telephone contacts) on a smaller, representative sample of the Head Start FACES families over a period of almost two years.

As a research method, the case study approach originated in the social sciences, particularly in the fieldwork of anthropology, psychology and sociology. As a research endeavor, the case study contributes uniquely to our knowledge of individual, organizational, social and political phenomena and addresses the need to understand complex social phenomena. Case studies have been defined as an empirical method for learning about a complex phenomenon, based on a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon as a whole, within a real-life context. The method relies on extensive description and analysis from multiple sources of evidence and uses multiple methods of inquiry (General Accounting Office, 1991; Yin, 1984). Applying this definition, case studies have often been used to learn as much as possible about the phenomenon of interest. The goal is to develop a complete picture, including how the phenomenon operates and how it relates to the extrinsic and contextual events of which it is a part. Case studies have proven to be particularly useful when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.

Historically, case study methodology has largely been applied in research and evaluation to address descriptive, explanatory or exploratory questions. For example, descriptive data generated from a case study can help the research audience understand and interpret a situation while also preventing them from oversimplifying the complexities of a given situation. Case studies can address explanatory questions by describing how a phenomenon has occurred or why it has happened – establishing and tracing the links between causes and effects over time. Lastly, case studies can also address exploratory questions, developing pertinent hypotheses and propositions for further inquiry.

A case study approach was taken in the FACES study in order to better understand Head Start families and children and the contexts in which they live by addressing descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory questions. Exhibit 1.1 displays the key research questions addressed, organized by four primary themes: 1) the Head Start child; 2) the Head Start family; 3) the family's interactions with Head Start; and 4) the family's home, neighborhood, and community.

Exhibit 1-1

Key Research Themes and Questions of the FACES Case Study

The Head Start Child How do Head Start parents describe their children? What is a typical day like for Head Start children? What are Head Start parents’ short-term and long-term hopes and goals (i.e., educational and occupational aspirations) for their children? The Head Start Family What are Head Start parents’ hopes and goals for themselves? What kind of strengths do Head Start parents perceive about their families? What kind of issues or areas needing improvement do Head Start parents perceive about their families? What are Head Start parents’ beliefs, hopes, and goals with regard to parenting? What is the nature of changes in Head Start families’ households with regard to household composition, adult and child health, child care arrangements, employment and economic status, and participation in Head Start activities? What is the nature of Head Start families’ social support networks, family resources, and the psychological well-being of the parents? The Family’s Interactions with Head Start What are the primary reasons that Head Start families enrolled their children in Head Start? How do Head Start parents characterize their children’s participation in Head Start? How do Head Start parents characterize their families’ participation in Head Start? The Family’s Home, Neighborhood, and Community How do Head Start parents characterize their homes, neighborhoods, and communities? How do interviewers describe Head Start families’ homes, neighborhoods, and communities?

1.2 Organization of Section IV: The Case Study

This section is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1.0 contains an overview of the case study. Chapter 2.0 describes the methodology of the study, including the sample, measures, data collection procedures, and data analyses used. Chapters 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 summarize the case study findings from the home visits, monthly telephone contacts, and family narratives, respectively.

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