Abstract
Early Head Start (EHS) faces multiple challenges in trying to meet the diverse needs of its clients due to the recent changes in welfare reform and the reauthorization of IDEA (1997). Using primarily a survey method, this study examined 3 issues of family service delivery in 40 EHS programs (Waves I-IV) in 6 Midwestern states. They include (a) the extent to which EHS staff believe in and implement family-centered practice, (b) EHS staff's perspectives about the Family Partnership Agreements (FPAs), and (c) their perspectives about the Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs). Results showed that EHS staff believed in the importance of family-centered practice, yet faced difficulty in implementing it. Results also revealed that the FPA and the IFSP are 2 common and distinct processes. Important to both is the relationship-based model in which staff establish partnerships with families and other community agencies. Collaboration is the key to an effective IFSP process. Policies at the program, state, and federal levels need to support the efforts of staff to strengthen families.
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