Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Steven Falk FROM: Estelle Clemons
Interim City Administrator Interim Director, Human
Services
SUBJECT: Head Start Program Annual Report
FY 21-22
DATE: May 3, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive A Joint Informational Report Summarizing Services And General Information For Fiscal Year 2021-2022 From The City Of Oakland Head Start Advisory Board and Head Start Parent Policy Council.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this joint informational report from the City of Oakland Head Start Advisory Board and Parent Policy Council is to provide an update to City Council on the City of Oakland Head Start Program. As a local grantee for the federal Head Start program, the City of Oakland is required to have an established policy group (Head Start Parent Policy Council) and governing body (City Council) that share responsibility for overseeing the delivery of high-quality services to children and families in accordance with Head Start federal legislation and policies.
The Head Start Advisory Board and Parent Policy Council participate in the planning and review of matters related to the City of Oakland Head Start Program and make recommendations to the Life Enrichment Committee of the City Council for approval. As part of ongoing communication between the Governing Body, Advisory Board, and Parent Policy Council, this informational report provides City Council with updates on the Head Start Program’s performance for FY 2021-22, progress on the program’s goals, (Attachment A) and general program updates through June 30, 2022.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City of Oakland has been a grantee of the Head Start Program since January 1971. In 2002, the City Council approved a resolution (Resolution No. 76996 C.M.S.) confirming the creation of a Head Start Advisory Board to assist the City Council in its governance role of the Head Start program. The role of the Advisory Board is to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the City Council in areas that require shared action by the City Council (as the governing body of Head Start) and the Head Start Parent Policy Council; and to assist with the oversight, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the program. Council reauthorized the Advisory Board in 2004 (Resolution No. 78553 C.M.S.) and in 2010 May 10, 2023
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 2
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(Resolution No. 83158 C.M.S.). The City Charter requires that the City Council create all Boards and Commissions by ordinance, and that Board members shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. Therefore, on advice from City Attorney's Office, an ordinance rescinding Resolution No. 76996 C.M.S. and formally establishing the Head Start Advisory Board was submitted for Council approval and approved on May 20, 2014 with Resolution No. 13230 C.M.S.
Head Start Program Performance Standard 1301.3 requires that parents of children currently enrolled in each program option inform the Program’s direction and decisions. To meet this requirement, the City of Oakland Head Start Program established the Parent Policy Council, an informal advisory body of parent volunteers. These volunteers are not appointed by the Mayor and/or City Council; rather, they are appointed by fellow parents from each program option annually at the start of the Program year.
As part of ongoing communication between the Governing Body, Advisory Board, and Parent Policy Council, this informational report provides City Council with updates on the City of Oakland Head Start program.
The City of Oakland was awarded and accepted a five- year grant for fiscal year (FY) 2021 – 2026, renewable from the Department of Human Services to implement a U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (DHHS/ACF), Office of Head Start to serve approximately 622 pregnant women and low -income children, ages zero to five , and their families throughout the City of Oakland, with high quality early childhood development services.
In FY 2021-22, the program began implementation of the new grant award, which reduced 52 slots across the Franklin, Tassafaronga and Arroyo Viejo sites. In December 2021, City Council passed Resolution No. 88940 C.M.S., approving one-time additional funding of $1.836 million from the City’s General-Purpose Fund to restore the 52 Head Start/Early Head Start slots and all Head Start services at Franklin, Tassafaronga, and Arroyo Viejo sites.
On December 6
th, 2022, the City Council passed Resolution No. 89517 C.M.S., approving the selection of First 5 Alameda County as the implementation partner for The Children’s Initiative of 2018 (Measure AA) early education program in the amount of $23,181,428.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
This report highlights the Program’s services delivered to promote the Citywide priority of Holistic Community Safety through expanded access to early childhood services in support of Oakland's most vulnerable families and children.
Core Program Service Areas
The City of Oakland Head Start program delivers services to children and families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being in each of these program options. The program model includes family leadership and advocacy with the Parent Policy Council and Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 3
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a Parent Committee at every site, ensuring that the program goals and services are responsive to and driven by community voice.
In collaboration with Head Start staff, the Parent Policy Council and the Advisory Board developed and approved strategic long-term program goals and objectives, based on community need, in February 2022. This information is summarized in Table 1 below.
Table 1: City of Oakland Head Start Program Goals
# Topic Goal
1 Family Well-Being The City of Oakland’s Head Start Program will collaborate and partner with families to support family well-being, parents’ aspirations, and parents’ life goals to create healthy, safe and secure environments for young children to learn and grow. 2 Community
Engagement
The City of Oakland’s Head Start Program will facilitate meaningful connections with the community to enhance the lives of children and families.
3 School Readiness The City of Oakland’s Head Start Program will provide high quality early childhood development programs designed to help children realize their greatest potential and prepare for success in school.
Update on Program Goals
The program has made tremendous progress in achieving its program goals, which can be viewed in Attachment A. Some of the highlights of the progress that has been made is reflected below:
• Formalized new partnerships with Family Front Door, Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) Office, and Alameda County Food Bank to address housing and food insecurity.
• Working with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to align the school readiness goals to expectations of receiving schools.
• Focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) by hiring a Race and Equity Fellow to develop systems and processes that ensure equity in all program practices.
• Working with an external partner to develop an apprenticeship program to address staff shortages.
Program Services in Head Start
Oakland Head Start/Early Head Start program operates the following program service options:
a) Full-day, Center-Based Head Start and Early Head Start services, operated by the City of Oakland (the Grantee) and Partners,
b) Home-Based Head Start and Early Head Start services, operated by the Grantee and Partner Agency, to provide education, developmental and family services at homes and at the Home-Based centers,
c) Pregnant People and Expectant Families Program that offers health and nutrition, in addition to pre/postnatal and early parenting classes, newborn home visits and transition of infant to the Early Head Start Program by the Grantee and Partner Agency, Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
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d) Family Child Care Partnership (FCC) Program operated by the Grantee in partnership with BANANAS, In c. Resource and Referral Agency to work with licensed family childcare providers throughout the city to provide Head Start comprehensive services,
e) Mobile Classroom Program operated by the Grantee that offers early learning education, child development, and family services in a mobile vehicle classroom setting at family shelters and other locations where unhoused families can be served.
Table 2: Grantee (City) and Partners Funded Slots
Early Head Start/ Head Start
Grantee & Partners
Early Head
Start Funded
Slots
Head Start
Funded Slots
Total Program
Funded Slots
Grantee
City of Oakland 181 184 365
Partner Agencies
Brighter Beginnings Home Based
Program 120 20 140
New Partners (Formerly St.
Vincent's Day Home slots) 15 31 46
Peralta Community College -
Laney College Children's
Center
48 48
Peralta Community College -
Merritt College Children's
Center
16 16
Bananas, Inc. Family Child Care
Partnership 26 33 59
Subtotal Partner Funded Slots 161 148 309
Total Program Enrollment
Proposed 342 332 674
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 5
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
Table 3: Funded Slots by City of Oakland Sites
Name of City of Oakland Site (Grantee) Funded Slots
Brookfield 9600 (HS) 32
Lion Creek Crossing (EHS/HS) 24
San Antonio CDC (HS) 24
Sungate (HS) 24
Manzanita (HS) 16
Franklin (HS) (City Funded) 16
Tassafaronga (HS) (City Funded) 24
Mobile Classroom Program (EHS/HS) 24
85th Avenue (EHS/HS) 34
Arroyo Viejo (EHS) (City Funded) 12
Broadway (EHS) 24
Home-Based Program (EHS) 59
Home Based-Pregnant Families Program (EHS) 10
San Antonio Park (EHS) 18
West Grand (EHS) 24
Grantee Total Funded Slots 365
Partner Total Funded Slots 309
Program Demographic Overview
The Head Start Program service area covers the entire city of Oakland. There are Head Start grantee and partner locations in the following zip codes: 94619 (Merritt), 94606 (Franklin, Manzanita, San Antonio CDC, and San Antonio Park), 94607 (Laney), 94605 (Arroyo Viejo and two Family Child Care sites), 94601 (Sungate), 94603 (Brookfield and two Family Child Care sites), 94612 (Broadway and West Grand), and 94621 (Lion Creek, Tassafaronga, 85th, and three Family Child Care sites), 94610 (one Family Child Care site) and 94618 (one Family Child Care site).
Cumulatively, the Program served 270 children in Early Head Start and 264 children in Head Start during FY 21-22. Table 4 shows the breakdown of enrollment by program option as of June 30, 2022.
Table 4: City of Oakland Head Start Program Enrollment FY 21-22 categorized by service option
As of June 30, 2022, the City of Oakland directly operated services for 365 children, including the slots funded by the City General Purpose Fund through Resolution No. 88940 C.M.S. Table 5 shows the breakdown of enrollment by agency as of June 30, 2022.
Program Option Funded Enrollment Cumulative Enrollment
Center-based 382 294/382 (77.0%)
Home-based 233 200/233 (85.8%)
Family Child Care 59 24/59 (40.6%)
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 6
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
Table 5: City of Oakland Head Start Program Enrollment FY 21-22 categorized by City of Oakland direct service operation compared to partner operation Agency Funded Enrollment Cumulative Enrollment
City of Oakland EHS 181 149/181 (82.3%)
City of Oakland HS 184 148/184 (80.4%)
Partner EHS 161 94/161 (58.4%)
Partner HS 148 94/148 (63.5%)
In FY 21 -22,
47% of Program participants were identified as female and 53% of Program participants were identified as male. Table 6 demonstrates the racial demographics of Program Participants in FY 21-22.
Table 6: Racial Demographics of Program Participants FY 21-22 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0.4%
Asian 24%
Black or African American 34%
Hispanic/Latino 32%
Multiracial 4%
Unspecified 3%
White 3%
The primary languages spoken by Program participants in FY 21-22 were Cantonese, English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Table 7: Program Primary Languages Spoken By Program Participants FY 21-22 Arabic 2%
Cantonese or Mandarin 16%
English 43%
Other (includes Mam, Tagalog, Tigrinya, and Yoruba) 6%
Spanish 31%
Vietnamese 2%
Program Services Overview
Early Learning and Development
The program promotes children's readiness for school with individualized learning experiences through relationships, play, planned and spontaneous instruction. The program encourages development in all areas that include social skills, emotional well -being, language and literacy skills, mathematics and science.
Early learning experiences also include the cultural and language heritage of each child and family. Parents, grandparents, foster parents, and other primary caregivers are recognized as children's first and most influential teachers. Their knowledge of their children is central to each child's individualized approach. Oakland Head Start works with families and the Oakland Unified School District to ensure program services support the school readiness of all children.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 7
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
School Readiness and Education Services
Data from the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) demonstrate that children showed developmental progress across all developmental domains in FY 2021-22. There was less growth in Early Head Start (2% average growth) compared to Head Start (26% ave rage growth). In the Fall, more children in the Home-Based program met developmental benchmarks compared to children in Center -Based programs. However, by the Spring both groups were relatively equal, as children served in Center -Based programs showed significantly more growth than Home- Based children. In general, while most children met developmental benchmarks for language and literacy, fewer children met developmental benchmarks in the Cognitive categories in both Head Start and Early Head Start. To address this, t he Program has added coaching, professional development, and training opportunities for staff to support their integration of cognition activities into services.
For both Head Start and Early Head Start, the Program saw roughly equal developmental progression across genders. Spanish -speaking children were more likely to meet developmental benchmarks than other languages. Cantonese speaking Head Start children showed the most growth from Fall to Spring. There was less developmental progression for Black/African American Head Start children.
In FY 21 -22, 132 children were eligible for Transitional Kindergarten or Kindergarten (TK/K), and 112 transitioned successfully to TK/K. 92 children transitioned from Early Head Start to Head Start programming. DRDP data show kindergarten- eligible children showed significant developmental progression from Fall to Spring. During FY 21-22, the Program resumed use of the Pre-K Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) by piloting virtual observations.
These CLASS observations were used to help identify staff for coaching and instructional development opportunities in FY 22-23.
Table 8 shows progress toward the school readiness goals from the PY 2022-23 Fall assessment period (baseline ass essment). The DRDP Comprehensive View for E arly Head Start and the DRDP Comprehensive View for Head Start were used during the Fall assessment period. City of Oakland Head Start reviewed the PY 2021 data and set appropriate benchmarks for each school readiness goal to track positive developmental progress for children. The Program is tracking the DRDP data closely to understand the development progression of children by age and if they are meeting the benchmark threshold set for their age. These goals were developed in 2021 and modified in 2022. The Program also modified the age groups so children are compared to a benchmark appropriate to their age. In PY 21-22, the Program saw children progress across all School Readiness goals. This trend has continued into PY 22-23 through Winter 2022 data.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 8
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May 23, 2023
Table 8: School Readiness Goals Progress in PY 2022-23 (Fall Baseline) Domain Goal Progress to Date
Social-Emotional Children will show
increasing awareness
of self- identity, cultural
identity, family, and
language in relation to
others.
Child Assessment data shows, that while
children are making developmental progress in
this area, this is an area of growth for our
program. 40% of children in the program have
reached the developmental benchmark for this
measure In Spring 2022 where our goal is
closer to 65%. We are closer to meeting goals
set for Early Head Start children than Head
Start children. This program year’s data is
similar to last program year.
Language and
Literacy
Children will increase
the use of language
(verbal and non-
verbal) to express and
describe their feelings,
ideas, and thought.
56% of children met benchmarks in this area in
Spring 2022, about 20% shy of the long-term
goal. Early Head Start children were more
likely to meet the benchmarks, and 50% of
Head Start English Language Learners met
the benchmark set for them. This program
year’s data is similar to last program year.
Approaches to
Learning and
Cognition
Children will increase
their ability to explore,
observe, investigate
objects (living and
non-living things) in
the environment and
become increasingly
sophisticated in
pursuing knowledge
about them.
Cognitive skills are assessed by two
measures, one focusing on curiosity and
initiative and the second on observation and
investigation. 70% of children are meeting
benchmarks in curiosity and initiative (80% is
the goal) while 45% of children met
benchmarks in observation and investigation
(70% is the goal) in the Spring of 2022.
Perceptual &
Motor
Development
Children will
demonstrate
increasing precision,
strength, coordination
and efficiency when
using the muscles of
the hand for play and
functional tasks
42% of children met benchmarks in Spring
2022 where the goal is 65%. Again Early
Head Start children are closer to meeting the
goal than Head Start Children. This program
year’s data is similar to last program year.
Mental Health and Disability Services
The Program supported 49 children with IEPs and IFSPs but ended the program year with 21 referrals still pending evaluation. If these 21 referrals had been completed, the Program may have been able to meet the 10% of funded enrollment requirement, a significant achievement.
The Oakland Unified School District is required to complete an Assessment and develop the IEP within 60 calendar days of receipt of the referral for children ages three to five. Regional Center of the East Bay must provide the IFSP to the Early Head Start classroom within 60 calendar days upon receipt of the referral for children ages zero to three. However, these agencies are experiencing significant backlogs in executing referrals . Many children awaiting assessments are waiting for more than 12 weeks to receive the appropriate referrals related to Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 9
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May 23, 2023
IFSPs and IEPs. The agencies report being understaffed and overwhelmed by the number of referrals they have received since the beginning of the pandemic.
Other highlights from the year included purchasing adaptive equipment for all centers using $14,000 from the California Department of Education Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program (IEEEP). The Program also partnered with East Bay Agency for Children to enroll children into their EPIC program, which focuses on building kindergarten readiness skills for preschoolers challenged by self-regulation and social expression.
Physical Health and Nutrition Services
The program focuses on health and physical development, both crucial for early learning. The program provides safe and healthy learning experiences indoors and outdoors. All children receive health screenings (including hearing, vision, and dental) and nutritious meals and snacks. The program supports and connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure children are receiving the care they need. The program ensures children receive support for building resiliency to cope with possible adverse effects of trauma and that families receive mental health consultation focused on each child's needs. At the end of enrollment in Fiscal Year 2021-22, over 99% of children in the Program had health insurance and a medical home. 96% were up to date with all immunizations and despite dif ficulties families reported in obtaining medical appointments during the pandemic, over 90% of children who were diagnosed with a chronic condition received medical treatment.
While the Program did experience closures due to COVID-19, particularly after the Omicron surge in January 2021, these positive cases did not once lead to a COVID-19 outbreak (defined as three or more related cases) across the program. This speaks to how effective the precautionary measures taken by our staff (such as consistent masking, daily testing and staying home when sick) were at reducing viral spread. Beginning in February 2022, rapid tests were available for all children at sites in an effort to balance classroom safety with responding to children coming to school with minor symptoms. The Program was also one of the first in the nation to track COVID-19 vaccines received by our children ages five and older. By the end of the Program year, almost 20% of children in the Program had received the COVID-19 vaccination.
To help meet the health and nutrition needs of families, key partners included: the Alameda County Food Bank, Alameda County Office of Dental Health, Asian Health Services, Lifelong Dental, Native American Health Clinic, Samuel Merritt Nursing Program, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Family Services and Community Engagement Services
The program offers parents and families services to support family well-being and to achieve family goals, such as housing stability, continued education, employment, and financial security.
City of Oakland Head Start supports and strengthens parent-child relationships and engages families in the learning and development of their child.
The Head Start program is available at no cost to children zero to five from low-income families.
Families and chi ldren experiencing homelessness and children in the child welfare system, including foster care, are a program priority. The program’s services are also available to children with disabilities and other special needs and work with families to identify and support new needs.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 10
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May 23, 2023
Averaging the scores across all Family Outcomes Assessments of PY 2 FY 21-22, families scored the highest on Promoting their Primary Language, Safety, and Health. Families had the most opportunities for growth in the areas of Leadership and Advocacy, Employment, and Education, Training and Life Goals. Through collaboration with strong community partners like Family Front Door, while the percentage of families experiencing homeless increased by 2% in FY 21-22, the percentage of families that acquired housing during the program year increased by 12%.
During FY 21-22, 240,696 diapers were distributed to Early Head Start families. Other highlights from Program year included the return to the in-person fieldtrip to Fairyland for the Week of the Young Child, a new partnership with World Central Kitchen to provide meals and groceries to families, and increased collaboration with Family Front Door and the Oakland Housing Authority to help address housing insecurity and homelessness.
The FY 21-22 Program Information Report (PIR) submitted to the Office of Head Start annually demonstrated that compared to the previous program year the number of newly enrolled children increased by 75%, father engagement increased by 6%, and the percentage of parents who participated in pre-natal services who then transitioned to services for their infants increased by 21%.
Program Governance
2021-22 Advisory Board Members
• Molly Tafoya, Chair
• Dr. Javay Ross, Vice Chair
• Priya Jagannathan
• Kevin Bremond
• Alysoun (Aly) Bonde
• Dr. Mariamawit (Mari) Tamerat
• Reverend Annette Howard
2021-22 Parent Policy Council Members
• Christina Michaud, Chair, Community Representative
• Bukola Ajana, Vice Chair San Antonio Park EHS
• Anna Beliel, Secretary, Manzanita HS
• JiaHuan (Erika) Wei, Assistant Secretary, Laney Children’s Center • To Niya Scott-Smith, Parliamentarian, Saint Vincent’s Day Home • Quizhu (Jewel) Xiong, Treasurer, Home Based Program
• Briana Barnes, West Grand EHS
• Shalimar Carliss, Lion Creek EHS/HS
• Cherryl Hidalgo, Franklin HS
• Cui Wen (Anna) Lin, Sungate HS
• Evelin Linares, Brighter Beginnings Home Based Program • Iris Lozano, Tassafaronga HS
• Tiffany Ly, San Antonio CDC HS
• Shadeema McDonald, Arroyo Viejo EHS
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 11
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• Luzelena Rosales, Brookfield HS
• Tanaii Saunders, Broadway EHS
• Deja White, 85th Avenue EHS/HS
2021-22 Parent Policy Council Alternate Members
• Ilona Orshansky Manzanita HS
• Lashawnda Hicks, San Antonio Park EHS
• Kelly Ye, Sungate HS
• Lawrencetta Blunt Lion Creek EHS/HS
• Alexis Taylor, Laney Children’s Center
• Rosie Ramirez, Arroyo Viejo EHS
• Kim Lu, Franklin HS
• Maria Sicairos, Tassafaronga HS
• Trang Nguyen, Grantee Home Based Program
The Program used the following Data Management Systems in FT 21-22:
• Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ Online)
• Child Development Management Information Systems (CDMIS) • ChildPlus
• DRDP Online – Desired Results for Children and Families implemented by the California Department of Education
• Head Start Enterprise System (HSES)
• Learning Genie
• MyTeachstone
• ReadyRosie
• SurveyMonkey
FISCAL IMPACT
This informational report has no fiscal impact.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The Head Start Policy Council and the Head Start Advisory Board are public meetings where staff present monthly program updates as well as the Head Start Annual report.
COORDINATION
The City Administrator’s Office was consulted in preparation of this report.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 12
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Table 9 shows the Program’s progress to meet Head Start Performance Standards through June 2022 in comparison to State and National Head Start programs. The table areas highlighted in green indicate where the program is doing better than State and National program averages.
Table 9: FY 21-22 Program Information Report (PIR) Data
City of
Oakland HS
Program
California HS
Programs
National HS
Programs
Cumulative Enrolled Children 534 78,898 768,152
Total number of Head Start Families 485 73,307 705,836
ENROLLMENT
% of children enrolled for multiple years 39.5% 38.0% 36.5% % of children enrolled less than 45 days 2.5% 5.0% 4.9% % of children and pregnant women who left the
program and did not re-enroll 9.8% 26.4% 24.4%
% of children with an IFSP or IEP 11.3% 14.4% 13.0%
HEALTH (at end of enrollment)
% of children with health insurance 99.3% 97.9% 95.6%
% of children with a medical home 99.3% 96.7% 94.3%
% of children with up-to-date immunizations 96.0% 95.7% 91.9% % of children with a dental home 86.8% 90.4% 82.4%
Of children diagnosed with chronic condition, the
% of children who received medical treatment 90.3% 82.9% 74.9%
FAMILY SERVICES
% of families who received at least one of the
family services reported in the PIR 100.0% 83.7% 80.3%
Total number of families experiencing
homelessness that were served during the
Enrollment Year 16.7% 9.8% 7.2%
% of families experiencing homelessness that
acquired housing during the Enrollment Year 35.9% 12.2% 24.2%
Impacts of CalFresh payment reduction and food insecurity City Council has requested information on Head Start program participants utilization of Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP/CalFresh). Families enrolled in SNAP/CalFresh are categorically eligible for the Head Start program. As of April 20, 2023, 44% of Head Start program participants who received services this program year reported receiving SNAP/CalFresh benefits.1 Family Advocates share that many new immigrants and undocumented families in the program are hesitant to apply and enroll out of fear that enrolling in the program could lead to the denial of their application for a visa or green card under the
1 Head Start Program ChildPlus Report 2004 (April 20, 2023).
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 13
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May 23, 2023
public charge rule. Other families share they are hesitant to apply because they have previously been told they do not qualify.
92.8% of program participants are eligible for the Head Start Program because they make less than 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), are enrolled in Public Assistance, are experiencing homelessness, or are involved in the child welfare system. Table 10 shows current Eligibility Type for Program Participants FY 22-23 as of April 20, 2023.
Table 10 Current Eligibility Type for Program Participants FY 22-23
Income
0-100%
FPL
Income
101-
130% FPL
Over
130%
FPL
Involved in
Child
Welfare
Experiencing
Homeless
Public
Assistance
Count 143 47 42 15 87 199
Percentage 26.8% 8.8% 7.9% 2.8% 16.3% 37.3%
Families are eligible for SNAP/CalFresh if their household has a total gross monthly income of less than or equal to 200% of the FPL.2 For a family of four, this is $30,000 as of January 19, 2023.3 Thus, while only four in ten families in the program are currently receiving SNAP/CalFresh benefits, over 92% qualify and are impacted by the high price of food. Further, initial Family Outcome Assessment data for the program show a 9% increase (from 6% to 15%) in participants identifying their financial situation as “vulnerable” or “in crisis” compared to Program Year 2021-2022.
City Council also requested information on the impacts of the cessation of CalFresh Emergency Allotments (EAs) implemented through the State of California COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. When the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency was implemented in 2020, Emergency Allotments were approved to CalFresh households to provide a temporary relief.
These CalFresh Emergency Allotments (EAs) were terminated in March 2023, resulting in a reduction by $95/month in CalFresh benefits beginning in April 2023. This cut is coming at the same time as record-high inflation.
Program staff will include additional data and information related to 1) housing insecurity and experiences of homelessness for families in our program broken down by race, 2) the Program’s Measure AA implementation plan, 3) and current program staffing, salary scales, and current staff list broken down by race in the report to Council scheduled for June 13 th.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The Head Start Program helps families thrive by making childcare more affordable.
The Program also provides free child development services so families can work and also directly creates and sustains jobs in the program for families and community members.
2 Alameda County Social Services Agency. CalFresh eligibility. Accessed here:
https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/our-services/Health-and-Food/CalFresh/index#eligibility 3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (January 19, 2023): Poverty Guidelines for 2023.
Accessed here: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Head Start Annual Program Report FY 21-22
Date: May 3, 2023 Page 14
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2023
Environmental: There are currently no direct environmental benefits or impacts from the Head Start and Early Head Start program to the City of Oakland.
Race & Equity: Improving educational and family outcomes and eliminating racial disparities for this community is an explicit goal of the program. The range of services aims to be responsive and appropriate to each child and family's developmental, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage and experience.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive A Joint Informational Report Summarizing Services And General Information For Fiscal Year 2021-2022 From The Oakland Head Start Advisory Board and Head Start Policy Council.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Diveena Cooppan, Human Services Division Manager, Early Childhood and Family Services, at (510) 238-7186.
Respectfully submitted,
ESTELLE CLEMONS
Interim Director, Human Services Department
Reviewed by: Diveena Cooppan, Manager
Early Childhood & Family Services Division,
Head Start
Prepared by: Robyn Levinson, HHS Planner
Early Childhood & Family Services Division,
Attachments (1):
A:
Head Start Program Performance FY 2021-22