Federal guidance allows Head Start grant recipients to apply to the Office of Head Start to shift funding (i.e., convert enrollment slots) from Head Start services for preschool-age children to Early Head Start services for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Yet scant information is available about how grant recipients navigate the conversion process, the challenges they face along the way, and factors or supports that facilitate the process.

This report presents findings from six case studies of grant recipients that converted enrollment slots from Head Start to Early Head Start in 2021. In it we present research findings pertaining to the entire conversion process from start to finish, beginning with how grant recipient staff decided whether to convert enrollment slots through implementation of new or expanded Early Head Start services. We also describe how the conversion process differs for programs with different characteristics and contexts. We also present recommendations from study participants for improving the process of converting enrollment slots and implementing high-quality Early Head Start services.

Why This Matters

The Conversion of Enrollment Slots from Head Start to Early Head Start (HS2EHS) project is the first study of slot conversion in Head Start. By documenting the entire conversion process, the project aims to fill gaps in knowledge for grant recipients, the Office of Head Start, technical assistance providers, and others.

What We Found

• Most grant recipients identified a lack of infant and toddler education and child development services in their community as the primary motivation for pursuing conversion.
• To put together the applications to convert enrollment slots, program leaders determined the number of slots to convert, developed a budget, and demonstrated the need for conversion.
• Program leaders found new teachers for the new Early Head Start classrooms and took steps so that staff received the necessary training to support work with infants and toddlers.
• To deliver high-quality Early Head Start services, program leaders considered several ways Early Head Start practices differed from Head Start. This informed the selection of classroom materials and the ways in which staff interacted with families.
• Study participants reported two factors they perceive are associated with successful implementation of Early Head Start following conversion: (1) previous experience converting enrollment slots; and (2) being a large program with a large budget.

Among grant recipients participating in the case studies, the research team documented study participants’ perceptions that the following factors facilitated successful conversion:

• leadership and staff support, policy council involvement, and low turnover among leaders
• understanding of and access to data about community needs
• knowledge of how to meet Head Start Program Performance Standards for Early Head Start
• sufficient time and attention to create detailed plans
• long waitlists for high-quality infant and toddler education and child development services
• leaders’ and educators’ knowledge of what is developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers

Study participants reported barriers and challenges associated with converting enrollment slots and delivering high-quality Early Head Start services:

• lack of adequate information about what is expected in conversion applications
• the timing of application approval
• facility renovations taking more time and being more expensive than anticipated
• insufficient awareness of the time commitment required for infant and toddler screening and reporting
• challenges with recruiting and retaining Early Head Start educators
• unmet need for infant and toddler professional development, coaching, and support

How We Did It

The study team collected data through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. In each of the six sites, we conducted in-depth interviews with Head Start program administrators, finance staff, members of governance committees, staff who work with children and families, and community partners. We collected data between November 2022 and March 2023. We also analyzed data from the Head Start Program Information Report and the Head Start Enterprise System.