Children's Village Honored to Host Federal, Regional, and Local Head Start Officials

An Honor and an Opportunity

Dr. Bernadine Futrell, Director, Office of Head Start, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, kicks off the visit by reading to preschoolers.

On July 12 -- coincidentally Children's Village's 45th birthday -- we welcomed federal, regional, and local Head Start officials to tour our program. (pictured below, center) Dr. Bernadine Futrell, Director, Office of Head Start, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; (left) Joy Diljohn, Executive Director, PreK Program, School District of Philadelphia (SDP); (right) Michelle Linder-Coates, Executive Director, Office of Early Childhood, School District of Philadelphia, and (not pictured) Brenda Hewitt, Head Start Region 3 Program Manager, joined other Head Start representatives for the visit.  

"We are honored that the School District of Philadelphia selected Children's Village as host. We are proud to showcase the outstanding work our teachers and staff do every day to meet the needs of children and families, including those confronting economic challenges," says Mary Graham, Executive Director.

The Real-World Impact of ECE Policy 

A student mixes paint colors in a preschool classroom. Children's Village worked with SDP and funders to ensure children not attending school due to the pandemic had learning materials at home.

This visit provided a valuable opportunity to speak with officials about how early care and education policy plays out in Children's Village's day-to-day operations, especially during COVID-19.  "Pandemic precautions added costs to our budget for items far beyond cleaning supplies and masks. To limit the number of adults on site, for example, we had to create a new staffing pattern to bring children into and out of class. This hefty expense is rarely included in pandemic cost calculations of school operations," says Ms. Graham.

Above all, Ms. Graham stressed the need to direct federal resources toward quality. "The child care sector has been financially unstable for decades. To 'build back better,' we must shore up the existing system with long-overdue funding that covers the true cost of care.  Only then can we ensure a high-quality early learning experience for every child and family," says Ms. Graham. 

Recapping our Conversations 

Below are photographs commemorating the visit and bullets recapping conversations. We are especially grateful that Dr. Futrell spent additional time with us for a round table discussion.

Retaining High-Caliber Teachers and Other Staff

Ms. Graham (left) shows the guests our staff bulletin board, highlighting the high retention rate of our teachers, which is rare in child care. Several staff members are parents of children who are or had been enrolled. Two of every three full-time teachers began their careers as members of our part-time teaching team (formerly called substitutes.)

Dr. Futrell underscored the difficulty of retaining high-quality teachers in light of Head Start funding challenges. She applauded the resourcefulness of programs during the pandemic.

• Testaments to our exceptional educators include:

• Teachers in our Virtual Preschool Program went above and beyond to create an enriching learning community. Read about teacher Theresa Mettee's Virtual Preschool classroom here.

• Teachers on-site created warm, educationally vibrant classrooms despite masks and other precautions. Read about Ms. Bell's approach here.

Communicating in Families' Home Language: Key to Family Engagement

(seated) At the reception desk, Ling Lang, Family Services Assistant, greets Dr. Futrell. Ms. Graham and Dr. Futrell view information available for families. Families can also access material via our website. 

• Respecting the family as a child's most important teacher, we are committed to timely, ongoing, and responsive communication with families.

• Members of our Family Services team translate all material into Chinese and serve as interpreters. They are at the heart of our work to build meaningful, trusting relationships with all families.

Promoting Healthy Bodies & Healthy Minds: Providing Physical Activity and Nutritious Meals 

Officials visited our outdoor play deck, which includes children's favorite: climbing wall!

Children's Village has created in-door space for big body play for all age groups, which includes cabinets to store play material when the space doubles as a meeting room.  

• When the big-body play space is not in use for children, it serves (except during the pandemic) as our Learning Lab's training site for teachers and directors. During the pandemic, Ms. Graham has led the Learning Lab's business administrative workshops for program directors via Zoom. Learn more about the impact of our professional development program here.

• Our Nutrition Program serves meals that not only are nutritious but represent the tastes, smells, traditions, and cultures of Children's Village families. Families whose children were learning virtually could pick up food from our kitchen. Read more about the approach of our chef, Matt Ferry, and his team here.

Committed to All Children and Families

Preschoolers create superhero masks!

Children's Village's Head Start commitment is longstanding. In 1998, Children's Village worked with a local Head Start provider to open one of Pennsylvania's first Head Start/Child Care Collaborative programs. Children's Village's current partnership with the School District of Philadelphia helps us to serve 126 preschoolers and their families through Head Start.  

"As we shared with the officials, we are deeply committed to Head Start but you will not find 'Head Start classrooms' at Children's Village. We do not differentiate classrooms by family income and child care funding. Every child stepping into a classroom deserves the highest standard of excellence and we will continue to do everything we can to provide it," says Ms. Graham.