Resources

A new brief from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation describes how Head Start responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by examining grantees’ challenges, how they addressed these challenges, and the supports they received from the Office of Head Start to provide services to children and families in their care. Surveys and interviews with Head Start personnel reveal that common pandemic-related challenges included providing remote support to families without reliable technologies or internet services; finding and hiring qualified staff; and creating new policies to meet local, state, and federal health guidelines. Findings from the study can help federal and state leaders develop or refine future supports for Head Start grantees and guide future research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the child care and early education system.