For many tribal communities, Head Start serves as more than an early education program. It is also a place where young children begin learning the language, culture and traditions that connect them to their people. But a new federal report says communication delays from the government are making it harder for some programs to operate effectively.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined how tribal Head Start programs support Native language and culture while also identifying the challenges they face. Researchers found many programs continue to struggle with staffing shortages and declining enrollment, issues that have affected early childhood education providers nationwide.
Despite those challenges, tribal leaders and educators told GAO that cultural and language instruction remains one of the most important parts of their work.
“They felt like that this was really critical to preserving the culture and instilling the basics of the language at a very early age,” said Katherin Larin, a director at GAO who helped oversee the report.
Researchers also found that communication delays from the Office of Head Start have created uncertainty for some tribal programs. According to Larin, several tribes said they would submit a plan for underenrollment, but would not hear back from the agency for months.
The report recommends that the agency strengthen communication to help ensure tribal Head Start programs receive timely information and support. In response, the Office of Head Start told GAO it plans to identify the causes of the delays and take steps to improve communication with tribes.
