Southwest Human Development Head Start & Early Head Start 2023 Annual Report

Rising up stronger— Together

Advancing national models of excellence in Head Start services delivery

Evolving through more than 40 years of continuous assessment, improvement, and innovation, our exemplary programs serve as national models for excellence in early childhood and literacy education.

FOUNDED IN 1965, Head Start is the national early education program created to give every vulnerable child an opportunity to succeed in school and life. The success of Head Start and Early Head Start programs over the decades offers living proof of the Head Start promise: Every child, regardless of their circumstances at birth, can reach their full potential.

Based on a “whole child, whole family” model, Head Start takes a comprehensive, two-generation approach to supporting kids, families, and communities on their path to success. Health and school readiness are emphasized for children from ages three to five, while Early Head Start (EHS) focuses on prenatal care and the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Located in the heart of the community, these programs engage parents as equal partners with their child’s teacher and provide a full range of family services from crisis intervention to goal-setting, job training, and education.

As Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development, Southwest Human Development proudly operates 19 Head Start/EHS centers and 7 Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP) centers in the City of Phoenix. Evolving through more than 40 years of continuous assessment, improvement, and innovation, our exemplary programs serve as national models for excellence in early childhood and literacy education.

Community and Statewide Impact

ADDED to the regional economy

$31,283,079

487 EMPLOYED Head Start/EHS staff

1,289 SERVED total children/pregnant women

Comprehensive services for

1,146

FAMILIES

A Message from our Director

We proudly share the Annual Report for 2022-23, a time of full emergence, renewed strength, and integration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Page after page, you can see shining examples of positive outcomes from the innovative strategies that were first implemented in 2021-22 to boost recruitment, foster retention, and raise levels of staff support. The addition of a Parent Portal to our locally designed Construct™ software has proven to be an invaluable bridge between staff and parents, school and home. Our groundbreaking Tablet Lending Program, which places a Wi-fi-enabled device in homes without digital access, continues to lead the way in promoting technology literacy and equity.

The calendar year 2023 marked a milestone in the successful completion of our grant cycle that began in 2018 and confirmation of our eligibility to continue operating under another five-year grant from the Office of Head Start. For details on the goals, objectives, and action steps outlined in our 2023-2028 Grant Goals and Objectives plan, click here Throughout this report, you will see evidence-based approaches and systems that are already in place to support the achievement of every stated goal.

In closing, I want to express heartfelt gratitude for every individual and organization working beside us to fulfill Head Start’s national commitment to give every vulnerable child an opportunity to succeed. Our success depends upon an entire village, from the generous support of community partners and advocates to the passion and dedication of our staff and volunteers. Key partners like Mountain Park Health Center and Arcadia Pediatric Dental, along with thousands of supporters in public and private sectors, join us in meeting critical needs. Special recognition goes to our Head Start parents who inspire us with their love, courage, faith—and unstoppable determination to move their lives forward. Working in concert, we can realize the promise that all of Arizona’s children will be healthy, ready, and eager to embark on a wondrous journey of lifetime learning.

Head Start/Early Head Start Quick Facts

740 Head Start children

519 EHS children, 30 pregnant women

1,146 Head Start/EHS families

38 Head Start classes

25 Early Head Start classes

Mindy Zapata Director of Head Start and Early Head Start

Leadership in quality teaching and learning

Our preschool children learn the skills and develop the executive function they need to be successful in school and life, while Early Head Start supports healthy prenatal development and provides infants and toddlers with positive learning experiences that foster intellectual and social-emotional development.

Supporting Children’s Thinking and Learning

CHILDREN IN OUR HEAD START AND EARLY

HEAD START PROGRAMS have the advantage of research-based curricula and evidence-based teaching and intervention practices that support growth in every area of early development and education. Preparing these children for success in kindergarten and life requires staff with proficiency in language(s) that align with the family’s first language or the one spoken in the home. As leaders in cultural and linguistic sensitivity, 78 bilingual/ multilingual staff met the needs of 174 preschool dual-language learners and 356 children from homes where English is not the primary language. Our exemplary programs are grounded in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and incorporate Arizona Early Learning Standards and readiness checklists developed in collaboration with receiving public schools. Using the latest researchproven, evidence-based tools, we continually assess, evaluate, and improve program outcomes:

• CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System®) is an observation tool that evaluates the quality of interactions between teachers and children.

Based on 2021-22 CLASS assessments, we identified a need for expanded shared reading experiences and access to texts in the home language. The implementation of successful strategies resulted in higher CLASS scores for 2022-23 in instructional learning formats, quality feedback, regard for student perspective, and language modeling.

• ITERS-R™ (Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale) provides a comprehensive observation tool designed to assess the quality of centerbased child care programs in the major categories of space/furnishings, personal care routines, listening/talking, activities, interaction, program structure, and parents/staff.

• HOVRS3® (Home Visit Rating Scales) provides a tool that measures desired family outcomes for home-visiting staff. In response to the 2021-22 HOVRS results, the leadership team identified tools and strategies to expand staff training/ modeling and improve collaboration with parents on home-visit plans. The success of these initiatives is reflected in HOVRS outcomes for 2022-23, reporting an average score of 6 or 7 out of 7.

Bridging curriculum delivery with child learning assessments

CULMINATING YEARS OF TESTING and validation in collaboration with Arizona State University, Southwest Human Development Head Start entered the final phase of creating our locally designed curriculum, Constructs for Children and Families.

The new curriculum for Head Start and Early Head Start/Home Base programs supports high-quality teaching through curriculum-based measures that provide real-time assessment data. Our proprietary Constructs™ Teaching application tool features a new dashboard for tracking curriculum-based measures with early learning benchmark scores of Not Yet, Sometimes, or Most Times. This simple scoring system makes it easy for teachers to assess the need for reinforcement or individual attention and for parents to see and understand their child’s progress. For complete Early Learning Benchmarks for 2022-23, click here

Building and refining the curriculum is a collaborative process that brings together child development managers, content team members, and mental health program managers. Our professional learning communities review the data on curriculum-based measures and Construct Teaching assessments for an overall picture of progress and educational needs. Team members work individually on specific areas of focus, sharing results for review and preparation for the collective monthly meeting. Feedback from teachers is crucial in identifying what is functional in the curriculum and ensuring the relevancy of constructs, themes, and sequences. Ongoing evaluation and integration of input and results create a comprehensive, evidence-based foundation for building and refining activities, skills, and lesson plans.

Spring 2023 Preschool Early Learning Benchmarks

What are teachers saying?

“We love the new curriculum that has all the activities in a single book! The lesson plans are self-explanatory, include all the materials we need, and give us so much freedom to individualize based on classroom needs. We can choose the activities we want to do and the best time frame for them in our busy day.”

“Having everything from math and science to language and social-emotional skills in one place makes it easy for teachers to see how everything works together. We look to their input in evaluating the success of new material and expansions like the interconnection of science with specific constructs and the introduction of environmental responsibility that brings forward “green” thinking about resources and sustainability.”

– Jazell Silvas, Assistant Director EHS-HS Quality Initiatives

Connecting home to school and school to home

OUR CONSTRUCT™ PARENT PORTAL SUITE of services and information continues to be highly successful in strengthening connections between parents, teachers, and family support professionals. One of the most valuable features is the Home & School Connection e-newsletter, filled with relevant content on at-home learning activities, health tips, and community resources. The focus for 202223 was a closer alignment of curriculum with suggestions for child/parent activities and more targeted reinforcement of classroom learning at home. We also asked parent representatives on the Policy Council to promote an activity or helpful resource from the newsletter when they returned to share meeting updates at their sites. Family

Support Specialists supported the process by reinforcing the relay of information and encouraging engagement with the newsletter and the parent portal. Several popular additions to the Parent Portal in 2022-23 were highly successful in raising the level of engagement:

• Classroom menus – Parents can better plan their own meals and use the menu as a conversation topic with their children.

• Recruiting flyers/contacts - Information on Head Start employment is now part of the moving slide show of announcements.

• Children’s artwork – The chance to see kids’ original art generates excitement in children and parents alike.

“Asking parents on the Policy Council to help us promote a piece of valuable content from the newsletter has been a real success. Few things are more powerful than the natural enthusiasm of one parent talking to another about something they find truly exciting or helpful.”

– Nadia McKernan, Manager Data and Grant Systems

“Con la ayuda de mi FSS he entrado al portal de padres para conectarme entre el hogar y la escuela y ahí encontré muchas actividades que me ayudaron para hacer actividades con Luna. Por ejemplo, “Igual y diferente,” agrupando los bloques de colores. “Yoga”, “Yo Espío” y muchas más. También encontré muchos recursos como “Renueve su AHCCCS” “El ahogamiento es silencioso.” El portal de padres es una herramienta de mucha ayuda.”

– Elizabeth Yescas, Early Head Start Parent

“I am very grateful for the parent portal as a family engagement strategy for having conversations with parents about incorporating the activities of the home-school connection into daily routines. We review activities and I help parents understand how they contribute to the developmental skills of their children. I share resources that meet the needs of the family and show them where I obtained the resources.”

– Anahi Stephenson Early Head Start Family Support Specialist

“The parent portal is not complicated like other apps. It is easy to navigate and I can access the content from my phone quickly and easily.”

Gabriela Barragan, Early Head Start Parent

Leadership in family support and services

Southwest Human Development Head Start has earned a national reputation for comprehensive twogeneration support with well-documented success in breaking the poverty cycle. Taking evidence-based practices to scale, our high-quality programs deliver life-changing support, resources, and opportunities to those struggling with poverty.

Transforming lives and moving families forward

BEYOND ADDRESSING CRITICAL NEEDS with counseling, mental health services, and crisis intervention, we provide parents with individualized support in furthering their education and finding jobs. Southwest Human Development is a key partner in supporting state and national priorities from workforce development for the under/ unemployed to extended-hour quality child care. The entire community thrives economically when parents are free to navigate work and class schedules knowing their children are safe and experiencing quality care.

Whether families enroll their children in centerbased classrooms or the home base program, parents are engaged as equal partners in their child’s education and actively participate in program planning. They learn positive parenting skills and receive support for creating healthy,

nurturing, stable home environments. Our programs also encourage personal growth and confidence through leadership opportunities including positions on the Policy Council and the Board of Directors.

Effective, Comprehensive Family Services

• 1,146 Head Start/Early Head Start families served

• 924 families with at least one parent employed/in training or school

• 1,080 employed/in training or school by end of enrollment

• 100% of 191 volunteers were current/ former Head Start parents

“Our Home Base program plays an important role in helping parents learn about the power of early care and education, including reading, singing, and playing with their children as part of their everyday routine. We work closely with each family in addressing specific concerns with guidance on caregiving practices, techniques, and modeling behaviors.”

- Elizabeth Christensen, Quality Teaching and Learning Program Manager

What do parents say?

“Early Head Start has helped me to be a more effective parent and teacher for my child, to set and work toward my financial goals, and provides important resources in times of crisis. My home visitor follows a routine that Natalia loves. She has helped me learn about child development and the importance of education.”

“Whether I am coaching my team, data intake assistants, or Family Support Specialists, the imperative is to approach support for unhoused children and families with the utmost discretion, sensitivity, cultural humility, and respect for confidentiality.”

Julio Chavez Reyes Community Development Manager

Improving connections to foster children and unhoused families

HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START SERVICES can make a crucial difference in the lives of foster children and those in families experiencing homelessness. At the same time, lack of contact information and issues of shame and stigma can make it difficult to identify and connect to these populations. We took steps in 2022-23 to close those gaps with stronger ties to area community partners and organizations that provide shelter and transitional housing. These intentional relationships create a two-way information exchange about Head Start’s life-changing services and the family’s specific needs. For those who decide to enroll, this deeper understanding gives Family Support Specialists an immediate advantage in building trust and family stability. To facilitate the enrollment of unhoused families in Head Start, our intake form now includes a simple bullet-point section for “living arrangements.” Those taking applications receive coaching on the extreme sensitivity of traumatic events and the importance of avoiding further questions.

Pandemic disruptions in economic stability and the dramatic increase in rent that followed have caused a crisis of family displacement. To provide Family Support Specialists with trusted, timely information

on available rentals in our area, our comprehensive database of community resources now includes detailed information for every option. Research teams are also developing navigators for families who qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8, a federal program that allows families to choose any housing that meets program requirements.

Efforts to reach foster children are grounded in the registry provided by the Arizona State Head Start Association that connects foster children and families under the state Department of Child Safety with Head Start programs in each area. To reach children who have yet to be placed with a foster family, we began discussions with Child Crisis Arizona on the viability of a partnership for full-day child care. Community outreach included our presence at the 2023 Annual Foster Festival in Encanto Park, a large-scale event that provided opportunities to meet and network with thousands of foster children, parents, and families.

• 31 foster children served

• 85 unhoused children served

• 51 unhoused families served

• 17 families found housing

Revised structure for Family Information Form

Leadership in technology-enabled efficiency

Southwest Human Development Head Start is widely recognized for technological advancements that support program excellence. Construct™ Coaching was the first in an expanding suite of locally designed software tools, providing an adaptive professional development model that supports high-quality teacher and caregiver practices and strengthens outcomes.

Bringing Construct Coaching to a national stage

THE PROVEN SUCCESS OF OUR PROPRIETARY Construct software programs and innovative strategies has long captured national attention and resulted in research collaborations with national partners. Over the past several years, our successful results have been studied and correlated in partnership with researchers at Harvard’s Brazelton Touchpoints Center, home to the National Center for Parent, Family and Community Engagement. Teachers and family support professionals using Construct Coaching have the advantage of proven practices that can be implemented with coaches who share concerns and caseload strategies, communicate reflectively, and provide professional support and guidance. Building upon a sequence of core strategies, the coaching cycle includes modeling, observation, feedback, reflection, and planning.

The unprecedented challenges facing families and providers of family services during the COVID-19 crisis provided the ultimate proving ground for Construct Coaching. Even in the most trying of times, Brazelton research data confirmed the effectiveness of our application tool in creating a significantly better program climate and maintaining strong family connections.

Although the Brazelton project is concluding, Southwest Human Development Head Start is continuing our partnership with Harvard University in the development of a manual for Construct Coaching. This comprehensive document will incorporate insights and lessons gained through years of pilot programs and breakthrough project research, providing an evidence-based guide of proven practices that can benefit the work of Head Start programs across the nation.

“We are so excited to see our coaching process go national in such a big way! Head Start programs across the country are hearing about the Construct Coaching approach and expressing a desire to acquire and implement the software. The partnership with Harvard is helping us produce a manual that will be functional for any program and provide the highest possible level of support and guidance.”

– Kamaie Clark, Program Manager School Readiness

Leadership in health, safety and wellness

Southwest Human Development Head Start follows the Head Start “whole child” model that addresses the entire spectrum of needs that enable learning. Along with support for medical and dental care, prenatal care, mental health, immunizations, and early intervention for delays and disabilities, our progressive wellness initiatives include mindfulness and yoga.

Returning to full program operations and wellness

THE 2022-23 ACADEMIC YEAR was a milestone in the return to pre-pandemic levels of visits to primary care providers for medical and dental care and prevention. With health and safety strategies in place to protect from COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, the highest priority was promoting health literacy and connecting families to the resources that would enable them to meet Head Start health standards. The application process for new families facilitates this process by providing a biopsychological profile of overall health factors, family strengths and needs, and windows into the child’s development. Ongoing updates and information on health and wellness are highlighted in our monthly Home & School Connection newsletter, presented in a culturally sensitive and easily understood style.

Our continuing partnership with Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) provides wellness services for our families, along with powerful support for improving health outcomes and promoting health literacy and equity. A new initiative in 2022-23 gave our home-visiting staff the opportunity to be on

hand two days a week at MPHC’s Balsz Pediatric Clinic to recruit income-eligible families in need of outreach, resources, and referrals. Providing a patient-centered medical home with evening and weekend hours, MPHC also hosts community events and health literacy initiatives that complement Head Start’s delivery of wraparound health and social services.

End-of-Year Medical Summary

• 98% preschoolers with health insurance

• 98% preschoolers with medical home

• 95% preschoolers with all possible immunizations/exempt

• 100% infants/toddlers with health insurance

• 100% infants/toddlers with medical home

• 94% infants/toddlers with all possible immunizations

Ongoing professional development in health & safety

SUPPORTED BY CONSTRUCT™ SOFTWARE, Southwest Human Development Head Start leads the way in coaching and active supervision for Environmental Health & Safety. Even prior to the pandemic, advanced strategies and the latest sanitizing equipment were in place to protect staff, teachers, children, and families. The return to in-person training in 2022-23 gave coaches and instructors the opportunity for personalized interactions and a deeper dive into topics at the forefront of individual and public health. With the expansion of Employee Onboarding from four days to three weeks, health content managers can facilitate group discussion of key takeaways and more effectively address differences in learning styles.

Every teacher at Southwest Human Development Head Start receives ongoing support for Environmental Health & Safety, inclusive of active supervision—at least bi-monthly for new employees and monthly for experienced staff. To ensure the highest quality in disease prevention and hygiene strategies, coaches confirm compliance with state licensing requirements and take advantage of opportunities for on-the-spot guidance and immediate feedback. One of the most crucial classroom environment protections occurs at drop-off time when teachers complete the daily health check and make informed decisions about symptoms and exposure risk. Throughout the day, teachers continue to monitor prescribed handwashing for children and staff, meal-time hygiene, and the appearance of symptoms that might require the caregiver to take a child home.

“When I stepped into the role of professional development coaching, I brought along the experience I gained in six years of classroom teaching and a year of working as a Family Support Specialist. As an Environmental Health & Safety coach, I am constantly striving to provide quality coaching and guidance that support our teachers in delivering high-quality services to the families we serve.

– Celeste Angulo, Professional Development Coach

“Promoting health literacy begins with the reality that children need to be healthy to grow mentally and physically and developmentally. In working with parents, we meet them where they are and provide individual consultations if that is needed.” –Bari Nemeth, Health Program Manager

Training for active shooter prevention

CRISIS PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE often require specialized training, resources, and safety measures. All three steps were taken in 2022-23 as part of our new active shooter prevention initiative. Current staff completed a two-hour training program with presentations on various scenarios and response strategies for each. In partnership with local law enforcement, Southwest Human Development Head Start provided classroom layouts, blueprints, and other structural details needed to formulate effective plans. In turn, officers committed to an immediate response and a three-minute arrival. During that crucial window

of time, all classrooms would be in active shooter lockdown—a step that is not practiced with the children but thoroughly reviewed with teachers and staff.

Classrooms are now secured by lock bars that keep doors from opening to the inside and safety hinge sleeves that can withstand up to 550 pounds of external force. Calming kits are available in every classroom, providing essentials like soft toys for tactile comfort, lollypops to quiet very small children, and a flashlight for children who are afraid of the dark and might cry. Plans with law enforcement also include designated meeting points where parents and children can reunite in the case of facility evacuation.

“Like every school and daycare facility across the nation, Southwest Human Development Head Start has implemented active shooter prevention training with the hope that it will never have to be used. At the same time, these crucial steps in preparedness and precaution are giving our staff and the families we serve greater peace of mind.”

– Jessica Varela, Program Manager of Facilities, Safety & Wellness

LEADERSHIP

in HEALTH,

Improving oral health comes

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON BRUSHING, flossing, eating healthy foods, and regular dental care have always been a Head Start imperative. Unfortunately, many parents grew up without oral health experiences, which creates obstacles from generational patterns to fears about visiting the dentist. Impressing the importance of oral care and the impact of gum disease or tooth decay on a child’s overall health can be challenging. To further family education and establish a “dental home” with ongoing access to oral care, Southwest Human Development Head Start works closely with community partners including Arcadia Pediatric Dental. Professional dental screenings at each Head Start/EHS site provide a baseline for preventative care and treatment. For families who lack dental coverage or fail to qualify for assistance, the program covers the cost of care.

94%

dental home

Leadership in staff training, retention and growth

Southwest Human Development Head Start provides exceptional opportunities for professional development, from nationally recognized innovative strategies and technology-enabled coaching to unparalleled opportunities for grant-supported educational advancement.

Addressing and supporting staff retention

OUR INNOVATIVE ONBOARDING PROCESS

for newly hired teachers and family support professionals that began in 2022 continued to evolve and expand into a comprehensive threeweek training program. Grounded in active multimethodology coaching, Employee Onboarding incorporates the evidence-based principles of adult learning theories identified in Bloom’s Taxonomy an effective structure for setting learning objectives and measuring the depth of understanding.

New teachers begin their first week in our main office, completing online modules and passing digital courses required by the Arizona State Department of Education and the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Child Care Licensing. During week two, a professional development coach provides comprehensive instruction from policies and procedures to best practices in early childhood classrooms. To reinforce high-quality practices for teaching, health and safety, and family engagement, an Employee Practicum at Educare Arizona provides opportunities for classroom observation.

New family engagement staff engage in a similar process but receive hands-on guidance and observational experience at Creighton Academy. They receive comprehensive instruction that includes program governance and parent leadership, Construct™ software and the Parent Portal, evidence-based family engagement practices, and community resources and referrals. Coaches reinforce learnings and strategies by providing hands-on experiences of effective communication and relationship-building with families using role play and reflective feedback.

Week three takes a deeper dive into the content presented in the first two weeks through meetings with content managers, on-site observations, and hands-on experiences supported by professional development coaches. Fully documented in Construct software, our exclusive onboarding process gives newly hired teachers and family engagement professionals an opportunity for immediate compensation and professional development credit before they ever step into their new position.

Advancing career growth through Success Coaching

LAUNCHED IN 2022, our Success Coaching program has proven to be highly effective in the areas of talent development and staff retention. New employees receive ongoing, direct assistance in understanding and navigating their job responsibilities as well as opportunities to reflect on their personal and professional goals. Check-in sessions between a coach and the new employee occur in months two, four, six, and nine, ending with the one-year anniversary.

Fully documented in Construct Employee software for reference and sharing, meetings with coaches

enable new employees to share their challenges, progress, and goals. They receive assistance in developing leadership and intrinsic skills through evidence-based best practices for overcoming obstacles in the classroom and organizationwide resources for specific support. Designed to foster self-direction and independent thinking around career growth, Success Coaching also creates a bridge to opportunities for educational advancement and professional development that include our tuition assistance program and partnerships within the agency and our community workforce.

“When I think of Southwest Human Development, I think of emergent leadership in what is innovative and creative and successful. Flexibility is one of the qualities we are known for, taking flexible approaches to learning, growth, creativity, and opportunities. I know that what I am seeing in our Head Start and Early Head Start programs is the future of early care and education!”

– Jorge Sanchez, Professional Development Coach

Building team spirit and promoting wellness

ORIGINALLY CREATED AS CELEBRATORY gatherings after the isolation of the pandemic, our staff wellness events proved to be overwhelmingly successful. The kick-off event for 2022-23 was held at the Musical Instrument Museum, where staff could explore displays, enjoy a healthy lunch, and learn strategies for integrating music into classroom activities. The Phoenix Zoo was the setting for the second event, planned to dovetail with preparation for a classroom unit on animals. Along with giving teachers the chance to gather photos and information, the zoo visit provided a relaxed setting for staff across the organization to build relationships and strengthen connections.

Snow Day remains one of the most popular events, with several tons of “freshly dropped” snow at a local park setting the stage for fun, conversation, and laughter. Following a wellness theme, this year’s competition engaged staff in building a snowperson in their favorite yoga position—followed by their own attempt to match the pose. SRP Park in Tempe was the location of a final agency-wide retreat that featured outdoor movement and wellness activities from hip-hop and Zumba® dancing to massage, yoga, and puppy therapy. Head Start/EHS

Staff Snapshot

• 75 of 487 staff former Head Start parents

• 398 Head Start staff

• 104 preschool teachers/ assistant teachers

• 89 EHS staff

• 89 EHS classroom teachers

• 12 EHS home visitors

Credentialing and support for lifelong learning

Our programming leadership at Educare Arizona provides Southwest Human Development Head Start with a Center of Excellence for the latest science, research, and evidence-based practices. The campus also provides a state-of-the-art research facility and training ground for candidates in the field of early childhood development. Eligible candidates can enter the 35-week workforce apprenticeship program at any time to begin 120 hours of online formal training and 480 hours of classroom experience.

Functioning like a paid internship, the program covers the cost of coursework, textbooks, and final exam. Instructors rotate the site location of Zoombased sessions, giving candidates bi-monthly opportunities for personal guidance from a trainer. While the primary focus is early childhood care and education, the program also teaches the soft skills needed for confident and effective communication.

Our unique CDA program attracts many candidates who are current or former Head Start parents or members of the surrounding community. Recruiting teachers whose appearance, language, and culture are familiar to our children and families keeps Southwest Human Development at the forefront of cultural and linguistic sensitivity. We are also national leaders in the education and placement of male preschool teachers: Four of seven Educare classrooms have one or more male teachers and another seven male candidates are currently completing their CDA program. Across the national landscape, only three percent of early childhood teachers are male.

“I have been involved in this work for 44 years and it never grows old. I started college in business and pre-law but everything changed the moment I saw my sister’s newborn baby. Making money was no longer my life priority. So often, we can see that awakening to core values and heart in our apprentice program. The soft skills piece helps people connect with their passion.”

– Estella Smith Quality Initiatives Manager

LEADERSHIP in STAFF TRAINING, RETENTION and GROWTH

Celebrating the success of Head Start’s two-generation approach

WHEN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE programs are designed to build the well-being of children and the adults in their lives together, the resulting structure is stronger and better for both generations.

Moving to the United States from South India, Tina Grounder arrived with little knowledge about her new country or its educational system. Fortunately, she connected with Southwest Human Development where she enrolled her son Jason in Head Start—and later her son Nathan. Tina credits Head Start for giving Jason the strong educational foundation that enabled him to continue excelling academically and earn a scholarship to Harvey Mudd College. During the time Jason was in Head Start, Tina was learning beside him, from the significance of health and dental checkups to the importance of reading and educational play. Coming from a country where college was not encouraged for girls, Tina believed that marriage and motherhood had ended any hope for higher education. That thinking began to change as she became inspired by her Family Support Specialist, a working mom who was balancing multiple responsibilities. After taking the bold step of stating education as a goal in her Family Partnership Agreement, Tina began taking classes at Phoenix College. By 2020 she had earned an associate degree and in 2023, Tina proudly graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree and a cybersecurity specialty.

Throughout her educational journey, Tina actively advocated for the Head Start program. She attended two National Head Start conferences, where she shared her inspiring story with members of Congress. She also served on the Head Start Policy Council for five years and is currently a member of the Southwest Human Development Board of Directors. Looking back, Tina can see how those leadership experiences boosted her confidence in being able to realize her goals and enabled her to be an empowering figure for other parents. Tina sees the Head Start program as a safe haven, a place where parents can ask questions and receive the support they need. Seeing how much she has grown, Tina takes immense pride in the unwavering determination that took her across the finish line and all that she has accomplished. Both Jason and Nathan call her their “rock star mom,” and she loves knowing how much Jason enjoys bragging about his mother’s graduation to his friends—and to his college professors!

Son Jason with his rock-star mom

Leadership in funding and fiscal responsibility

Southwest Human Development is well known for maximizing resources through innovative strategies and layered funding that enable our programs to meet the real-world needs of children, parents, and staff.

Excelling in operational efficiency

OUR ABILITY TO FORM DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIPS and procure braided/blended funding resources are key factors in our reputation for maximizing resources that benefit our programs and the entire community. Even during the economic turmoil of the pandemic, realignment of funding enabled us to build three new centers that expanded the resources needed most by working families: Access to extended full-day hours of safe, reliable, high-quality child care. The innovative Tablet Lending Program we launched during the pandemic continues to support equity and technology literacy, including improvements in Arizona’s public education system. Our partnering school districts are now seeing Wi-fi-enabled tablets as a viable solution to the obstacle of supplying every child with a laptop when some homes lack Internet access. One of the most impressive returns on funding investment is often overlooked: The life-changing impact of multilevel, two-generation support for personal growth and development through grants for continued education and lifelong learning. Hundreds of Head Start parents and employees have completed our on-site Child Development Associate (CDA)

program since its launch in 2012—many of whom are employed today in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The success rate for finding immediate employment upon program completion is 97 percent, and many have gone on to earn degrees from associate through doctoral.

2022-23 Funding Sources

$11,193,859 Federal Head Start

$8,773,472 Federal Early Head Start

$1,482,848 HS/EHS American Rescue Plan

$810,834 USDA/CACFP

$7,290,029 Local In-Kind Donations

$1,732,037 Private/Other

$31,283,079 Total Revenues

Independent Audit Results

CliftonLarsonAllen LLC, Certified Public Accountants, completed the Fiscal Year 2022 audit ending June 30, 2023. Summary of findings: The financial statements present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of Southwest Human Development, Inc. as of June 30, 2023 and 2022, and the changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Head Start and Early Head Start Center Locations

Balsz/Educare District

Pat Tillman School

4309 E Bellview

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Brunson-Lee School

1350 N 48th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Crockett School 501 N 36th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Educare/Brunson-Lee Site

1300 N 48th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Creighton East District

Creighton School

2802 E McDowell

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Gateway School 1100 N 35th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Monte Vista School

3501 E Osborn Road

Phoenix, AZ 85018

Papago School 2013 N 36th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85008

Creighton West District

Excelencia School

2181 E McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Kennedy School 2702 E Osborn Road

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Machan School

2140 E Virginia Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85006

Osborn-Madison Park District

Encanto School

146 West Osborn Road

Phoenix, AZ 85013

Montecito School 715 E Montecito Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85014

Phoenix College

3310 N 10th Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85013

Paradise Valley District

Campo Bello School

2650 E Contention

Mine Road

Phoenix, AZ 85032

Echo Mountain School 1811 E Michigan Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85022

Palomino School 15833 N 29th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85032

EHS-Child Care Partnerships

Ninas Family Child Care Centers (Locations vary) 3502 East Indian School Road

Phoenix, AZ 85018

Strong Foundations 2302 West Colter Street

Phoenix, AZ 85018