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

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