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 The
National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA) is made up
of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Directors, Staff, Parents, and Friends
that meets regularly to discuss issues and concerns unique to Migrant and
Seasonal Head Start children and their families.
Migrant and seasonal farm workers work in various sectors of our nation’s
agriculture industry – from harvesting to sorting to processing and
everything in between. It is hard work and requires special skills. Most
farm worker families earn less than $10,000/year and have no health
benefits according to a study submitted to Congress in 2000 by the United
States Department of Labor.
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start was a response to the needs of migrant
farm worker families. In most states, local childcare resources are not
available when migrants come into a community, especially for infants and
toddlers. When resources are not available, parents have no choice but to
take their children to the fields where they are exposed to pesticides,
hazardous equipment, extreme heat and other health dangers.
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Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs
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Serve nearly 37,000 migrant children and nearly 2,500 seasonal
children annually
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Operate in 40 states in every region of the country
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Provide coordinated services to mobile families and children as they
migrate from state to state
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Are seasonal in nature providing services in some areas for 2 months
and other areas for 10 months
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Provide extended hours service, 12 hours a day, and often 6 days a
week
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Have served migrant children and families since 1969
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Have served seasonal children and families since 1999
Who We Are
We are local providers of high quality childcare. We are experts in
infants, toddlers, and the migrant culture. We partner with other local
social and health service groups. We are a part of something bigger –
other agencies throughout the United States who serve children when their
families are working in seasonal agriculture.
What We Do
We prepare children to enter school ready to succeed. We also help
parents learn about the customs and values of our communities, learn
English, and become strong supporters of their children’s continuing
education.
What Makes Us Special
The families we serve. They believe in the American dream and work hard
to achieve it. Our programs, therefore, work with the families by
operating seasonally to meet their needs as they harvest our nation’s
fruits and vegetables. We ensure that our programs are bilingual and
comprehensive – offering adults, as well as children, the opportunities to
learn and grow.
Why This Matters
The families we serve put safe, healthy, and affordable food on America’s
tables. The Head Start we provide children saves public education funds
by sending children who are prepared to succeed, with pride in their
native languages and cultures, and a strong desire and foundation to be
the future leaders of our country.
Programs and Services: “Many young migrant and seasonal children in the United States are
taken to the fields every day because their parents have no other options
while they work. Getting the children out of fields and unsafe
environments is a starting point for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS)
programs, but they do much more. By seeking to break the cycle of poverty
created by moving from place to place, MSHS programs answer basic needs
for migrant and seasonal children and their families by providing
positive, nurturing child development programs for children ages birth to
5 years old.”
“MSHS Programs
are inter-disciplinary, full day, individualized, multi-cultural, and
utilize appropriate developmental practices. Children, whose native
language is other than English, are encouraged to build upon their native
language while English is gradually introduced.”
“Children learn to be self-directed, to interact in group settings, and to
be accepting of the ethnic, cultural, and individual differences in
people. Staff develop partnerships with parents to involve them as the
first and most important teachers in the overall development of their
children.”
Education
We provide migrant and seasonal children learning environments and
experiences that enable them to solve problems, initiate activities,
explore, question, and gain mastery through learning by doing. We make
home visits twice a year, allowing parents and Head Start staff the
opportunity to jointly develop goals for the children.
Health and Disability Services
We provide a broad range of medical, dental, and mental health activities
to promote sound physical, social, and emotional growth and development.
We offer total health screenings for infants, toddlers, and preschool
children. Parent health education teaches migrant and seasonal families
how to assess and seek help and care for their children's health. Over ten
percent of the children we serve have disabilities.
Nutrition
We conduct nutrition education in the classroom and in the home. We
serve breakfast and lunch, or lunch and an afternoon snack, family style.
All meals meet USDA/Head Start requirements. The meals/snacks we serve
support the health-medical-dental component.
Parent Involvement
We offer parents educational, nutritional, medical, dental, mental
health, and social services training with concrete experiences to support
them in their role as parents. Migrant and seasonal programs accommodate
the working schedules of parents by conducting center and parent council
meetings in the evening or on weekends. Parent meetings allow parents to
be active in the decision making process of their local programs.
Social
Services
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs teach migrant and seasonal
families how to find and utilize available local community services and
resources enabling them to improve their families' condition and quality
of life.
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