Increase Employee Satisfaction and Retention by Training and Hiring Current Program Parents
By investing in our program parents, we simultaneously invest in our future workforce
By Grant Gilson, Marketing and Development Manager, Educational Opportunities for Children and Families, and former program parent and Policy Council parent
The success of the Head Start program and the success of our children lies with our teaching staff. That is why at Educational Opportunities for Children and Families (EOCF) we hold our teaching staff to the highest regard. Teaching staff shoulder an incredible amount of responsibility in the agency. They experience firsthand the challenges children and families face and often encounter heart-breaking situations. They see children who hurt, who are food insecure, and who are starting their new life transitioning to a new foster family.
They also experience firsthand the fruits of their labor when they see a child excelling, when they see a child smiling ear to ear from the family-style meal with their friends, or from the success the families have from setting goals. Our teaching staff is pivotal to our agency, and yet we find ourselves struggling to hire and retain great qualified classroom staff.
Is the answer to the problem right in front of us? Are the very same people we see every day when they drop off their children part of the solution we are looking for? If our teachers are responsible for the success of our children and families, and our parents are equally as important to our agencies, then maybe our parents are part of the solution to this nationwide problem.
Head Start helps families and children grow and learn to better themselves. What better way is there to help families thrive than by offering a program for parents that not only provides education and training but offers them a chance to work for the same agency that provides incredible service for their children?
“Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to get our parents’ college tuition paid for and receive college credits?” asked Rekah Strong, Executive Director of EOCF. “Having college courses would start to lay the foundation for their interest in early education work.”
There are parents in our program that have always wanted to attend college but have thought it just is not possible. Could they be the first ones in their family to attend college? Some parents may have started college coursework and were faced with the difficult decision to stop.
Staff may want to transition to working in the classroom or have a development plan that requires them to complete Early Childhood Education (ECE)credits. We must look within our own agency whether it be parents or staff to fill our teaching staff vacancies. We need to offer our parents and staff “a holistic wraparound opportunity,” Strong said.
Our Solution: Training and Hiring Current Program Parents
With a little research and forward-thinking Parent University was started. Parent University is modeled after a similar successful program in Portland, Oregon at Albina Head Start where 76% of their Center Training Assistance program participants (45 individuals) were hired for a position at Albina Head Start. Not only have they been able to hire employees, but they have been able to retain them at an impressive rate. As a result of this initiative, Albina Head Start increased their overall employee retention to 82%.We hope to recreate these great successes within our organization. We strongly believe that parents currently in the program can add extreme value to make our organization better.
At Parent University, participants are selected as part of a cohort to be sponsored by EOCF to attend a weekly class — to learn and grow together at no cost to them. The benefit of developing a cohort is that the process of college enrollment is streamlined, and potential barriers are considered and addressed up front. Parent University aims to give participants a strong foundation to be eligible for employment and success with the agency.
Tips to Start Your Own Parent University
1. Secure Seed Money.
EOCF is fortunate to be one of three programs in Washington State to receive a grant from the state for seed money. The initial costs will vary from state to state but securing funding for the program is a critical first step so your agency will know exactly how many parents you can offer the program to. EOCF is fortunate to offer Parent University to 21 parents and staff with one parent completing a course online.
2. Work with your local community college or an online program.
Work closely with the local community college that has ECE coursework to start a cohort. If there is not a community college nearby you may be able to work with an online program. We are fortunate to work closely with the local community college, Clark College, to negotiate a price and secure a room and teacher for our Parent University cohort. Working with a college that offers online classes could also be a viable option that could potentially be explored for future cohorts.
3. Partner with an agency that offers supported employment services.
EOCF partnered with an agency, Partners in Careers, which specializes in supported employment services to help provide six hours of training for the cohort. EOCF’s parents receive a self-assessment, household budget planning, and resume and cover letter training. If there are parents that have been stay at home moms for several years it will be important for them to have updated training on resume building, interview skills, etc.
Learning Opportunities From Our Pilot Program
As a pilot program, EOCF is still working out the kinks. We have identified a few learning opportunities while developing and evaluating parent interest. Below are a few of the learning opportunities to share.
1. Some parents that were interested were non-English speaking.
Because the coursework was not setup in a way that they would succeed they were not able to attend the first Parent University cohort. EOCF would like to offer English as a Second Language classes to parents to break down that barrier so they can participate in future cohorts.
2. Parents need to have at least a HS Diploma or GED to be a part of Parent University.
EOCF conducted eligibility screening interviews with all interested parents to determine where they lack eligibility, and how we can help those parents become eligible for future cohorts. One barrier some parents faced was lacking a GED or High School diploma. EOCF is finding ways to partner with agencies who can help support this need.
3. Determine common barriers and develop processes to help with those barriers.
One common barrier our parents faced was childcare. EOCF provided childcare and dinner for the first three classes while parents attended class. If there are other barriers we have a dedicated staff to develop solutions to accommodate our parents.
We must utilize the greatest resource in our programs: our parents. They already have a vested interest in Head Start, they know the benefits, and they have a deep connection with Head Start. It is a winning combination when it comes to hiring great staff and ultimately retaining them.
Grant Gilson is a former program parent became involved with Head Start through Policy Council and where he held the delegate to the board position. Grant has completed an MBA program and holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and Minor in Sociology from Washington State University. Because of his involvement with Policy Council he gained skills and experience with Head Start that led him to an ERSEA manager position with Educational Opportunities for Children and Families. He was recently hired as the new Marketing and Development manager where he will spearhead the agency’s marketing effort and brand awareness in the community.
