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Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC)
Effective Program Strategies

Child Care/Head Start Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Type of Program:
The Tribe’s Early Childhood Development Program is responsible for the direct implementation of both Head Start and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) services. The Head Start program is funded to serve approximately 231 children and families. The CCDF program includes a certificate component that allows families to choose from the full range of care options available in the community. Many of the Tribe’s children are also served through a full-day, full-year partnership between these two programs.

Effective Program Strategy:
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe began the partnership process in 1993, with the decision to co-locate the Tribe’s child care program and child care resource and referral agency (CCR&R). This initial partnership provided a launching point for the Tribe’s Head Start and Child Care programs to begin collaborating.

The full-day, year round partnership conversation began in 1996, with a focus on streamlining and enhancing early childhood services for the Tribe’s children and their families. The next step brought together Head Start and Child Care program directors to discuss service delivery for children who were enrolled in both programs. Both directors decided that serving children in one location would provide a "one-stop shop" for families to receive services. Now, both Head Start and Child Care children are served in the Tribe’s new early childhood building, Abinojii-Oshki-Bimadiziwin (Baby’s New Beginnings).

In order to provide seamless services to children, the programs have a cost allocation plan that divides costs between both Head Start and Child Care. Staff whose responsibilities carry over into both programs are also cost-allocated and are paid through both funding streams. Because staff positions are not duplicated within the two programs, the partnership results in streamlined budgets, family services, and training. Program flow is simplified; children and families now receive consistent services.

Since the inception of the partnership, many opportunities to enhance service delivery have been explored and implemented. Parents whose children are enrolled in Head Start can now access care for their children beginning at 7:30 a.m. The partners also plan to increase service hours in the afternoon and to expand services to all five tribal communities where Head Start is located.

Resources:
Tribal CCDF and the Tribe’s Head Start grants are the primary resources for this collaboration.

Results:
The Leech Lake partnership has found success through teamwork, inclusiveness, and helping children achieve successful transitions to the Head Start/Child Care program. In addition, a flexible philosophy encourages staff to evaluate systems critically and create alternate ways to solve problems. Keeping staff focused on quality service delivery helped ease the fears that sometimes accompany change. Because of the Tribe’s Head Start/Child Care partnership, the early childhood center can access additional resources, and share staff strengths and expertise.

Lessons Learned:
Through the partnership experience, the programs have learned that it is important to cross train staff on the similarities and differences between Head Start and Child Care and to embrace challenges that will benefit children and families. They have also learned that phasing in change is easier than dealing with it all at once.

Contact Information:
Lee Turney
Early Childhood Development Program Director

Address:
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
6530 Hwy. 2 NW
Cass Lake, MN 56633

Phone: (218) 335-8256
Fax: (218) 335-8255
Email: llhdstrt@paulbunyan.net

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This page was last updated May 28, 2004.