The Florida Head Start community is coming October 1 - 4, 2024, to the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Entrance to Universal for the FHSA 25th Anniversary Celebration, For the Record, Head Start Rocks! 

We plan to celebrate like it’s 1999 as FHSA marks its quarter of a century by empowering Head Start, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and Early Head Start and Child Care Partnership programs to advocate, lead, and enhance the education, health, and social services provided to families in Florida. 

This year's conference will provide CEOs, Directors, Site Managers, front-line staff, Center Coordinators, Teachers, Policy Council Members, Corporate Friends, and individual Friends an opportunity to come together and network with their colleagues in the state to receive high-quality training and plenty of opportunities to engage in various in-depth educational sessions focusing on numerous subjects of interest to our community. 

FHSA thanks our Sponsors and Exhibitors for supporting our Head Start community in Florida. Their support allows us to keep registration costs low for our programs. 

Early registration is open through August 16, 2024. 

Florida is home to the nation's fourth-largest Head Start, Early Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, and Early Head Start— Child Care Partnerships Grantee Agencies.  

The FHSA Conference & Expo has limited sponsorships and exhibitor spaces available, enhancing your access to conference participants. The deadline for exhibitor registration is August 2, 2024.

The FHSA board has three (3) director-at-large seats available due to board members completing their terms. If you have always wanted to be part of the FHSA Board of Directors, now is your time. 

The board seeks individuals with leadership and management experience who can provide direction and a bold vision to increase the association's fiscal health. Please consider applying if you are a leader with:

• a proven performance record and commitment to the advancement of FHSA;
• the time and ability to serve;
• the understanding of teamwork, communication, and mentoring skills;
• sound judgment and integrity; and
• enthusiasm and the ability to be a strategic, visionary thinker.

Self-nominations are accepted until July 30, 2024.

The House Appropriations Committee released details of their proposed plan for fiscal year 2025, which includes a spending bill for labor, health and human services, education, and related agencies, including Head Start. After hours of deliberation, the committee passed the bill and reported it to the full House of Representatives on a party-line 31-25 vote. The bill would provide Head Start with a small $25 million increase. While this is better than expected, it’s certainly not what Head Start programs need.

In addition to continuing to work with House offices to advocate for increasing funding, NHSA’s attention now turns to the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled to take up its Labor/HHS Appropriations bill on August 1.

NHSA is almost certain the final decisions on funding for next year will not be made until after the November election. It is not too late to take action and remind Congress to prioritize investment in Head Start and all Early Care and Education Programs. 

As we approach the end of summer, it is time to start enrolling for Head Start! Our goal is to ensure that our most at-risk children and families, who meet the eligibility criteria whose income is at or below the poverty level, according to the Federal Poverty Guidelines, children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, and children from families receiving public assistance — such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)— are eligible regardless of income. The Office of Head Start is here to guide you through this process. 

Visit the #GetaHeadStart Recruitment Resource page on the ECKLC site for materials to connect your community to children and families who need us the most. These resources include customizable handouts, posters, and social media assets in multiple languages to support your program with outreach and recruitment efforts.

 ICYMI: Get to Know Your Head Start Collaboration Office webinar that aired on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Once you click the above link, you must register to watch the recorded webinar.   

The HSCO Director Aims to support Head Start children, families, and programs by connecting Head Start to various state systems, programs, and initiatives. Here are a few key takeaways:

• Brokering relationships across state government and with State level partners
• Coordinate with state systems
• Support the service delivery of programs to meet the needs of children, families, and staff
• Ensure Head Start/Early Head Start are fully considered with new policies are being created in States and Territories
• Serve as a central hub for external and internal stakeholders for data and other resources

Important Upcoming Events

FHSA EVENTS 

FHSA Annual Conference
October 1 - 4, 2024
Orlando, FL
Click here for info

 NATIONAL TRAININGS or EVENTS 

ACF National Research Conference on Early Childhood
July 24 - 26, 2024
Virtual
Click here for info

National Association for Family Child Care Annual Conference
July 24 - 27, 2024
St. Louis, MO
Click here for info

Engaging Parents with Disabilities & Learning Differences in Head Start Programs
July 25, 2024
Virtual
Click here for info

Information Updates 

Change of address, email or any information? You will need to log in to your profile here.

FHSA would like to amplify Head Start's voice each month by recognizing FHSA members who are making Head Start's work happen! Tell us about your staff so we can spotlight the work in Florida to serve the most at-risk children and families.

Hurricane season is upon us, and our Directors Affiliate Group invited Lori Hayes and Maribel Forchion from the Natural Disaster Team from the Office of Head Start to share a few reminders about being disaster-ready Here are some tips shared with the group:

1. Take photos /videos of everything before a disaster occurs. Photos provide proof of what your program looked like before the damage occurred. Photos should include the interior and exterior of all Head Start/Early Head Start buildings, playgrounds, inside of the classrooms, and office space.
   
   
2. Inventory all supplies, such as desks, children's chairs, adult-sized chairs, tables, desks, smartboards, play centers, kitchens, etc. This will ensure that the regional office knows exactly what your program had prior.
   
   
3. Ensure your program has an emergency preparedness plan in place and practice it before a disaster occurs. An effective communication system is also essential to guarantee your staff and parents are alerted and know the next steps.
4. Mental health readiness is also a major component in disaster preparedness for the staff, children, and families that Head Start programs serve. Programs receive TTA funding, which can be used for mental health support. Even after a traumatic event has occurred, mental health support should not go away. Support is needed pre- and post, especially in areas that have experienced a traumatic event. People can become hypersensitive, especially during hurricane season.

Getting through emergencies is part of life, and we need to be equipped to handle whatever is thrown our way since many rely on our programs to get them through challenging times. During these events, staying connected with your program specialist at the Region IV Office of Head Start is imperative. They will provide programs with a tracker form to ensure communication is flowing and to better understand what has occurred at your location, including whether staff is being displaced and whether children are being relocated to another site so they can communicate to Congress. It’s a team effort and we are all in this together. 

Here are a few resources to bookmark:

• Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
• Recovering Emotionally After a Disaster
• Integrating Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety Emergencies

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