Raleigh, North Carolina — Amidst the evolving landscape of early childhood education, mano-Y-ola takes a bold step forward with the launch of the innovative “Insights” data dashboard, addressing the Office of Head Start’s proposed revisions to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS). The proposed HSPPS modifications advocate streamlining the data analysis process, transforming intricate data collection methods into clear, practical information that Head Start offices can efficiently use. Enter mano-Y-ola’s Insights, which curates nearly 400 early childhood education relevant secondary data indicators from trusted public sources, including comparable county, state, and national data when available. This simplified approach makes it easy for programs to find the necessary information and see where service gaps exist. mano-Y-ola will continue to monitor Head Start requirements, tailoring services to ensure clients have clean, current, and valuable data to enhance their services and meet community needs.
Two proposed HSPPS additions stood out to the mano-Y-ola team regarding transportation and eligibility. The proposed amendments focus on the impact of transportation “as an economic factor impacting wellbeing” and the availability of transportation resources for eligible families. The data provided by the Insights dashboard, such as vehicle ownership, the percentage of households without a vehicle, and the various means of transportation used for commuting, directly relate to understanding the transportation needs within a community. Furthermore, information about local public transportation resources is essential for assessing how well these needs can be met. This data can help evaluate whether current transportation options are sufficient and where improvements may be necessary.
The Office of Head Start is also proposing to expand its income eligibility to include “Adjustments for Excessive Housing Costs for Eligibility Determination,” using cost-burdened adjustments and income deductions to determine and expand Head Start eligibility. Insights includes cost-burdened and severely cost-burdened household county data as well as contextual information such as the fair market rent of a two-bedroom home and the income needed to afford a home relative to the income of typical Head Start families. Detailed information on public housing includes the average months spent on the waiting list and the proportion of families who have extremely low income, among other factors. Furthermore, included in our robust section on poverty is a breakdown of the estimated number of children in poverty by age, down to the granular level of census tracts. This data is essential to ensure services are being provided in the areas that most need them.
In Insights, we focus on the data that is applicable to you and your community. The data in Insights is updated quarterly as available, without the unnecessary and confusing complex algorithms discouraged by the Office of Head Start. Additionally, Insights’ services compare community secondary data to Program Information Report (PIR) information as well as family surveys, to enable you to better understand the needs of your children and families in the context of community data. Insights is available at a significantly reduced cost compared to a typical community assessment, enabling more Head Start resources to be allocated to address the specific needs highlighted in the provided data. Contact us today to learn more about the Insights Dashboard at our mano-Y-ola website, or email our Vice President of Programs, Danielle Luchtenburg, at danielle.luchtenburg@mano-y-ola.com.
-written by Jessica Roqueburg
