The Kansas Early Head Start (KEHS) program began in 1998 and is a national model serving at-risk infants and toddlers through home-based and center-based services. The program has expanded from $6.3 million in FY 2000 to $10.2 million in FY 2014. It is primarily financed by federal child care funds. KEHS is administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) under the Economic and Employment Services Division. This division also administers the State Head Start Collaboration Program. KEHS provides comprehensive services following federal Head Start Program Performance Standards for pregnant women and eligible families with children from birth through age 3. Fourteen Kansas-administered grant-funded EHS programs serve 48 Kansas counties and 1,006 enrolled slots for pregnant women and young children. Some local program agencies also receive federal funds.   KEHS also works to increase the number of infant/toddler child care slots in communities and partners with existing community-based child care providers to improve the quality of child care available for infants and toddlers. The KEHS programs are required to partner with existing child care providers, center based and family child care partners, to provide child care services to families who are employed, attending school, or in job training. All KEHS child care partners must meet both Kansas Child Care Licensing and federal Head Start Program Performance Standards.

 The Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) review examined home visiting research literature and assessed the evidence of effectiveness for home visiting program models that serve families with pregnant women and children from birth to age 5. Outcomes for eight domains as well as each model's implementation guidelines were evaluated.   The HomVEE review of Early Head Start-Home Visiting indicated favorable impacts in five domains (child development and school readiness, family economic self-sufficiency, linkages and referrals, positive parenting practices, and reductions in child maltreatment) and at least one favorable impact in all five domains was sustained for at least one year after program inception and at least one favorable impact in three domains (child development and school readiness, family economic self-sufficiency, and positive parenting practices lasted for at least one year after program completion.   For more information on the HomVEE review and evidence based practice, click hereto visit their website: Click Here!

 Kansas Early Head Start agencies involved with the Kansas MIECHV Program are Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP) and Project EAGLE in Wyandotte County.

 Shelli Walrod, Home Based Program Manager for SEK-CAP Head Start, believes EHS works. That, with the support of their home visitor, families increase self-sufficiency and improve their child's school readiness. The Early Head Start (EHS) model provides families opportunities for growth and success and facilitates self-sufficiency. Through weekly home visits, parents learn the importance of working with their children on a daily basis to enhance their development in five main areas: Social-Emotional, Physical, Language, Cognitive, and Literacy. Each child's progress is tracked for each domain through an electronic assessment system which produces a record for parents to present to schools when their child enters Kindergarten.

 Parents are encouraged to attend socialization events, or "Play Groups", to assist them in building a network with other parents, to advance their child's social skills, and to enhance their parenting skills. Family engagement is also an important component of the EHS model. Parents are assisted in writing goals for themselves, their children, and their family.

 In 2012, when the EHS model was implemented in Montgomery County as part of the MIECHV program, only 40% of families were employed. Home visitor, Judy Mustain, worked closely with families building strong relationships and providing training, resources, and encouragement. As a result, Judy's caseload family retention rate is high and, at the end of 2013, 100% of the families on her caseload were employed with one or both parents working.