What is the State Collaboration Office?

Despite its Federal-to-local program structure, the Head Start community recognizes that the states play an important role in the formulation and implementation of policies and initiatives that affect low-income children and their families. Collaboration on behalf of children and families is one of Head Start's highest priorities. Since 1990, the Head Start Bureau has funded Head Start-State Collaboration grants to create the capacity to support the development of multi-agency and public/private partnerships at the State level. The Iowa Head Start State Collaboration Office was established through these funds in 1993.

The Collaboration Office ensures the coordination of Head Start services with health care, welfare, child care, education and community service activities, family literacy services, services to homeless families, and activities relating to children with disabilities. As Iowa continues to invest in coordinated services for young children and their families, broad collaboration with Head Start occurs in a variety of ways, including the development and enhancement of State-level efforts to build early childhood systems through linkages, coordination, and integration of policies and services.

Why Collaboration?

The Head Start-State Collaboration Office have established themselves as an effective single point of contact in the state for informing the Head Start community about state planning and programs. Likewise, the Collaboration Office is an important resource for state agencies seeking out Head Start. Effective partnerships continue because the interests and needs of both Head Start and the states are addressed.

Our knowledge about child development and quality early childhood services has increased dramatically over the past several years, resulting in unexpected funding opportunities and shifts in programmatic priorities at the Federal and State levels. As a result, effective Head Start-State Collaboration Offices have developed the capacity to work with partners to adjust plans accordingly and to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. This flexibility is based on strong relationships and effective systems for data management and communications with the Head Start community.

Goals

The goals of the Iowa Head Start State Collaboration Office:

Help build early childhood systems and enhance access to comprehensive services and support for all low-income children;


Encourage widespread collaboration between Head Start and other appropriate programs, services, and initiatives, augmenting Head Start's capacity to be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of children and their families;


Facilitate the involvement of Head Start in State policies, plans, processes, and decisions affecting the Head Start target population and other low-income families.

Priority Areas

In the 1998 reauthorization of the Head Start Act, Congress outlined eight priority areas for the Head Start-State Collaboration Offices. They are charged with facilitating coordination of Head Start services with a complex array of other services in order to:

Improve the availability and affordability of quality child care services

Increase opportunities for children with disabilities

Expand partnerships with school systems

Strengthen family literacy services

Promote access to timely health care services

Support access for homeless children

Collaborate with existing community services activities

Encourage collaboration with welfare systems

For more information, visit the Iowa Head Start State Collaboration Office at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/1151/1265/ or contact Tom Rendon, Collaboration Project Director tom.rendon@iowa.gov or 515-242-6024