Lessons for the future: Supporting the social-emotional needs of children, families, and educators in Head Start during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

From the earliest days of the shelter-in-place orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists warned of the deleterious impact such social isolation could have on young children's social-emotional development. Early childhood education programs, especially those serving low-income and marginalized communities who were hit especially hard by the pandemic, played a critical role in providing support and resources to young families. The federally funded early childhood program, Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) was particularly well-positioned to aid in this effort. As the pandemic interrupted classroom-based and in-person activities, resourceful HS/EHS programs continued to support children and families in novel ways. This study aimed to capture this creativity and resourcefulness with the intention of carrying lessons forward to improve practice and response to future crises. HS/EHS center directors (N = 20) were purposefully sampled in collaboration with community partners and were interviewed at two time points (August/September 2020 and November 2020) to capture their program's practices before, during, and after shutdowns. Findings from this study can inform the ongoing conversation about what postpandemic early childhood education should look like and how best to meet the social-emotional needs of children, families, and educators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement What is the significance of this article for the general public?-This study qualitatively captures the experiences of Head Start/Early Head Start directors as they continued to support children's social-emotional development throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from this research inform ongoing national conversations around lessons learned for children, families, and educators in a postpandemic world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)