Health Services Management
The materials in this section are designed to assist health managers and their teams to plan, implement, and evaluate the health systems and services in their Head Start or Early Head Start program. Find regulations and requirements, tools for data collection and assessment, resources to support program planning and evaluation, and strategies for engaging community partners.
New! The quality of health services depends on the knowledge, skills, and experience of program staff and consultants. The National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness has developed an optional set of tools—not required by the Head Start Program Performance Standards—to help health services staff strengthen their attitudes, knowledge and skills. Explore the Head Start Health Services Competencies to learn more.
Featured Resources
Health managers are encouraged to explore the following resources to improve their knowledge of Head Start health services:
Contact Us
If you would like help finding resources, please contact us at health at ecetta dot info.
Select a topic below to see available content:
Program Planning
Head Start and Early Head Start programs are required to develop and implement a systematic, ongoing process of program planning. This process includes consultations with the governing body, policy groups, program staff, and other community organizations. It involves identifying short and long-term goals for implementing quality services based on results of the community- and self-assessment. Health managers will find helpful resources to aid in program planning below.
- Virtual Early Education Center
- Building Bridges Between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood, and Domestic Violence Programs
- Caring for Their Children's Children
- Compliance with Care
- Embracing Our Future ES
- Emergency Response and Recovery
- Health Manager's Orientation Guide
- Health Talks
- Healthy Systems in Head Start
- Home-Based Early Head Start: Kitchen Therapy
- Health Manager Orientation Guide Module (HMOG)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Geospatial Data Warehouse – Interactive Map Tool
- I Am Moving, I Am Learning (IMIL)
- Head Start and Child Care Programs: An Important Part of Community Readiness and Response to Seasonal Influenza Webinar
- Lead Poisoning Prevention for Head Start Children
- Managing Infectious Disease in Head Start
- May Is Better Hearing and Speech Month: Promoting Early Hearing Screening and the Use of Assistive Technology
- Mental Health Services in Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start
- Program Planning: A Learning Activity
- Recommendations for a Head Start Program
- Resources for Homeless Children and Families: Tip Sheet
- Screening for Social and Emotional Concerns: Considerations in the Selection of Instruments
- Site Design
- Speech and Language Screening: Well-Child Health Care Fact Sheet
- State Early Learning Guidelines & Standards Regarding Health
- The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
- Tip for Health Manager Series
- What Head Start Leaders Need to Know – Planning
- When Health Affects Assessment
- Why Are Early Head Start Programs Responsible for Providing Diapers and Formula? Early Head Start Tip Sheet No. 8 [See Spanish version]
Health Tracking and Recordkeeping
In order to provide quality health services, programs must establish and maintain efficient and confidential tracking and recordkeeping systems. The system should document health care treatment and follow-up, identify common health problems and gaps in services, and create a comprehensive picture of a child's health. Health managers can find resources, tools, and ideas to help strengthen their tracking and recordkeeping systems.
- Determining Child Health Status
- Child Health Record ES
- Family History: Resources, Tools, and Frequently Asked Questions
- 'Individualized Planning for Health' [Background Information] in Essential Principles for Care
- Keeping Up – Tracking Health Services: A Learning Activity
- Reviewing Health Records: A Learning Activity
- Sensory Screening Protocol
- Special Care Plan for a Child with Asthma
- What Head Start Leaders Need to Know – Recordkeeping and Reporting
- 2016 Immunization Schedules for Children and Adults
Program Information Report
The Program Information Report (PIR) offers important descriptive and services data to the Head Start community and its partners, Congress, and the general public. Data is compiled for use at federal, regional, state, and local levels. The PIR must be completed annually by all Head Start and Early Head Start programs. A separate PIR must be completed for each grantee and delegate agency for their respective Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Communication
Head Start and Early Head Start program staff are required to develop and implement all services in partnership with parents. Good two-way communication among staff and families is important in meeting the needs of children in our care. Confidentiality must be maintained for both written and verbal communication. Review the links below to learn more about communication.
Ongoing Monitoring and Self-Assessment
Two of the key management responsibilities of all Head Start and Early Head Start programs are to conduct a self-assessment of their program effectiveness and progress and to implement a consistent ongoing monitoring system. Ongoing monitoring is a process in which an agency analyzes its services. The self-assessment process provides an opportunity for involving parents and the local community in becoming advocates of quality early childhood services. Explore the resources and tools below to learn more about these management responsibilities.
Human Resources
Head Start and Early Head Start programs are required to establish and maintain an organizational structure that adequately supports the program's systems and services. They are required to have key staff assigned to health, nutrition, and mental health services. The information below may provide useful tools and resources for staff and consultants understand their assigned functions.
Health Services Advisory Committee
All Head Start and Early Head Start programs are required to establish and maintain a Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC). The HSAC is an advisory group usually composed of local health providers—such as pediatricians, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, nutritionists, and mental health providers—who represent a wide variety of local social services agencies. Head Start staff and parents also serve on the HSAC. The HSAC plays an important role in fostering community connections and ensuring that Head Start programs provide comprehensive, integrated, and effective health services to children and their families.
- Embracing Our Future ES
- Health Services Newsletter: A 21st Century Vision for Your Health Services Advisory Committee (June 2014)
- Head Start Health Services Newsletters
- Successful Models for Achieving Oral Health: Dental Primary Care and Dental Home
- Virtual Health Services Advisory Committee Meetings
- Weaving Connections: Training Kit and Video ES
Community Engagement
In order to successfully provide all of the services needed by their children and families, Head Start and Early Head Start programs partner with a wide variety of state and local agencies. Identifying appropriate partners, building relationships, and developing partnerships are ongoing processes that take coordination among program managers and key stakeholders. Explore the following resources to learn more.
- Advocacy, Action, and Access
- Challenges of Collaboration
- Community Partnerships: Working Together (Overview)
- Healthy Women Build Healthy Communities Toolkit
- Practicing the Collaborative Process
- Strong Connections for Strong Kids: Working Through the Challenges of System Collaboration
- Strong Connections, Stronger Families
- Strong Connections, Strong Kids Webinar Series: Head Start and Healthcare Collaboration at the State Level
- Weaving Connections: Training Kit and Video ES
- What Is a Health Center?
Health Managers Networks
Health manager networks provide peer-to-peer professional support for new and experienced health managers. They provide opportunities to:
- Learn from each other
- Build and share their expertise
- Strengthen their programs' health services delivery
Looking for a network near you? Contact us at health at ecetta dot info.
A health manager network includes, but is not limited to, a group of three or more managers and staff who work in health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities, and oral health services. The members of this group share a common interest in the work they do and a desire to do it better. They also make a commitment to interacting regularly.
Last Reviewed: January 2017
Last Updated: January 24, 2017