On May 18, 1965, a group of leaders formed Project Head Start, a comprehensive child development program, to serve over 39 million children and families in hopes of building a brighter future. Today, Head Start celebrates 59 years of being instrumental in providing early education, health screenings, social and emotional health, nutrition, and social services to our most at-risk children and families across the United States.  

As we celebrate Head Start's birthday, FHSA would like to acknowledge the hard work of Florida's Head Start programs, staff, volunteers, community partners, and alumni! Please consider submitting nominations for the Annual FHSA Awards Programs to highlight the important work to build a brighter future for Florida's children. 

This milestone is not just a celebration of the program's success, but also a recognition of your support and commitment to ensuring all children, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to succeed in school and life.

The FHSA nominating committee is accepting nominations for its Annual Awards program, which recognizes Head Start and Early Head Start employees, parents, alums, volunteers, and partners who have dedicated their time and talents to Florida's Head Start Community. The awards nomination deadline is June 3, 2024.

The Annual Awards program will be held during the FHSA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, and awards will be distributed then.

As we celebrate the Florida Head Start Association's 25th Anniversary, we look forward to welcoming you to our annual conference on October 1-4, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando. 

This year's theme is For the Record, Head Start Rocks! 

We hope you’re making plans to join us for the One Goal: Building the Future Together “Putting Families and Children First” Summer Conference on July 17-19, 2024, in Tampa at the Hilton Tampa Downtown Hotel. 

We are excited, this year the Conference will be celebrating 37 years of providing motivational and educational experiences for early education and care providers. 

The conference begins with the Opening General Session keynote speaker, LaVonna Roth, a motivating and encouraging speaker who empowers educators to find greatness in their children and themselves. The Closing General Session features keynote speaker, Dr. Pamela Phelps, a passionate and inspirational speaker who will kindle a new awareness of your strength and value. You will be energized and leave with a renewed sense of self-worth! 

The conference includes 80 concurrent presentations which provide information on developmentally appropriate activities and teach skills that can be used daily in working with children. Commercial and educational exhibits will showcase the latest in early childhood materials, books, training, and educational aids. Networking and collaboration opportunities available with leaders of local and state agencies and organizations. 

Registration for the conference is only $175 per person and made possible by so many generous sponsors who work hard to keep our costs low so that everyone can benefit.

• Register for the One Goal Summer Conference
  • Make your hotel reservations early to guarantee availability and conference rates. The last two years, we have sold out prior to our cutoff date.
• Make a Hotel Reservation Hilton Tampa Downtown

If you have any questions or need assistance registering, please do not hesitate to call the Conference office, (850) 893-6270.

We hope you’ll plan to join us – we look forward to seeing you there!

At the start of the appropriations season, members of Congress circulate "Dear Colleague" letters to their colleagues urging them to sign letters to Appropriations leadership expressing funding support; NHSA has been advocating for significant funding increases for Head Start in FY25. Take a look at the Democrat and Republican letters. 

Did your member of the House sign? If not, please take action now and urge them to support Head Start in FY25!

The Department of Labor finalized a new rule that has been years in the making. The rule raises the threshold under which salaried workers qualify for overtime pay, Under the new rule, which begins to take effect on July 1, salaried workers earning less than $43,888 per year will qualify for overtime protections; that threshold rises to $58,656 on January 1, 2025.

Check out these resources from our friends at the Community Action Program Legal Services, Inc. (CAPLAW), which addresses this in an issue brief several years ago and provided a brief overview of when the current rule was first proposed last year.

The Office of Head Start released an Information Memorandum (IM) on May 09, 2024, on Strategies and Recommendations for Supporting Mental Health. The IM provides evidence-informed mental health strategies and associated resources that can help address these challenges as part of a renewed effort across federal early childhood funding agencies to integrate mental health supports into programs. This IM stems from a reported rise in behavioral and developmental concerns, higher rates of staff turnover, and limited availability of specialized mental health services. 

Mental Health Promotion 

• Sharing culturally and linguistically appropriate information about early childhood development and mental health 
• Social-emotional screening and referrals
• Professional development and early childhood mental health
• Promoting workforce wellness
  
  

Prevention & Family Strengthening 

• Implementing social-emotional learning curricula and approaches
• Offering family strengthening and parenting programs
• Utilizing infant and early childhood mental health consultation
  
  

Increase Access to Behavioral Health Care

• Integrating treatment services and support into early childhood settings
• Embedding or linking to community health workers, promoters, and family navigators
• Partnering with behavioral health to increase access to treatment for children, families, and the workforce
  

ICYMI: Director Khari M. Garvin of the Office of Head Start announced the Home at Head Start Call to Action to ensure programs make a difference in their communities by prioritizing children and families experiencing homelessness.  

Here are a few tips to get started: 

• McKinney-Vento eligible families are categorically eligible for Head Start. 
• Contact your homeless liaisons in your school district or local shelters to provide enrollment referrals and offer support.
• Your parent leaders are a valuable resource in our mission. They can help identify families who may be sharing housing due to financial or other hardships or emergencies. Their insights are crucial in reaching out to those who need our support the most.
• Ensure your staff understands the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness and how to engage in caring conversations with families without ever using the word “homeless.”

The FHSA monthly newsletter aims to provide you with important information about the Association, upcoming events, and national industry updates. We encourage you to make sure your information is up-to-date so you don't miss out on important information. 

To login to your account make sure you've got your username and password handy! 

Important Upcoming Events

FHSA EVENTS 

FHSA NPRM Workgroup: Family Services Workers

May 22, 2024

1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Click here for info

FHSA NPRM Workgroup: Benefits Standards

May 29, 2024

9:00am - 10:00am EST

Click here for info

FHSA NPRM Workgroup: Wage Standards

May 29, 2024

10:00am - 11:00am EST

Click here for info

2024 FHSA Awards Nominations

Deadline: June 3, 2024

Click here for info

NATIONAL TRAININGS or EVENTS

2024 Symposium and Annual Meeting

May 19- 22, 2024

Arlington, VA

Click here for info

Be Healthy, Be Safe, Be Well

May 21 - 24, 2024

Virtual

Click here for info

Understanding Integrated Pest Management

May 29, 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.

On Friday, May 10, 2024, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee confirmed three tornadoes impacting Leon and Gadsden counties in Florida. 

The damage from the impact of two EF-2 tornadoes, strong winds, dangerous lightening, and heavy rain fall left a trail of damage in the Big Bend on Friday, followed by several lines of storm moving through the Big Bend the following Monday and Tuesday. 

Leon County Recovery Efforts

Ongoing recovery efforts have began and additional resources can be found on the Leon County Emergency Information Portal to share with your programs, staff, and families who have been impacted by this widespread damage. 

Gadsden County Recovery Efforts

The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office is overseeing emergency management operations for the County and is asking citizens to visit the Emergency Management department for any recovery needs.

Sponsored by the National Dairy Council, The Dairy Council of Florida is offering free nutrition education opportunities for parents and caregivers. Feeding Toddlers with Confidence is a free, practical, actionable, and evidence-based mini-course designed to help parents navigate the challenges and unknowns of feeding infants transitioning to the toddler years (available in both English and Spanish). 

The LSF Duval Head Start program provided rising Kindergarteners with an opportunity to experience Rutledge Pearson Elementary School to support successful transitions to Kindergarten.

The Agricultural and Labor Program (ALPI) is celebrating 60 years of #CommunityAction through making a positive impact and transforming lives across America!  

Children First, Inc. was awarded a $2,000 grant to help fund classes through their award-winning Families First Institute from the Florida Winefest and Auction.