Citation
Partika, A., Granja, M., Chow, K., Perez, N., Smith, S., & Edge, N. (2026). Building better early care and education systems for children in foster care: Opportunities for Head Start. SRI.
Abstract
The Arkansas Office of Early Childhood is collaborating with SRI International, the National Center for Children in Poverty, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to learn about the supply, quality, and stability of early care and education (ECE) for children in foster care, as well as the facilitators and barriers to children in foster care accessing high-quality ECE.
This brief presents findings from focus group discussions with staff Head Start programs across Arkansas about strategies for enrolling and supporting children in foster care in Head Start.
Key findings include:
- Head Start programs and services focus on meeting the developmental needs of children who have faced adversities, including children in foster care.
- Prioritizing enrollment slots for children in foster care and offering extended hours of care could enable Head Start programs to more effectively support foster families.
- Head Start programs have found ways to collaborate with their local child welfare agencies to support children in foster care.
We conclude with recommendations for state early childhood agencies and Head Start Collaboration Offices seeking to improve Head Start access and services for children in foster care.
