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Aboriginal
Head Start Program
by Lylee Williams
[click here for interview with Director
of AWASIS]
 Dr.
Cam Mustard is the Scientific Director
of the Institute for Work and Health
in Toronto, Ontario. His research interests in the area of health
services include mental health, pediatric care and obstetrics
and the epidemiology of chronic disease. He is currently a member
of a research group planning a cohort study of children enrolled
in the Aboriginal Head Start program.
Aboriginal Head Start Program
Overall Goal:
The overall goal of Aboriginal Head Start is to "support
early child development strategies designed and controlled by
Aboriginal people…..to provide opportunities for Aboriginal
preschool children to develop a positive sense of themselves
and a desire for learning, as well as give them opportunities
to develop fully and successfully throughout their lives."
A look at its beginnings in the U.S.:
The Head Start program began in the United States in 1965 and this early
childhood intervention program is still widespread in that country
today.
It had its roots in the 1960s, a decade in which the United States
launched a "war on poverty" by initiating a wide variety
of early intervention programs for children from low-income families.
Such initiatives were based on two assumptions:
1. Learning problems were best treated early, before formal
schooling.
2. Early enrichment would have a lasting positive impact
on children's elementary and secondary school years .
A typical Head Start program provides children with a
year or two of preschool education before they enter school,
along with nutritional and medical services. In addition, parent
involvement is a central part of the Head Start philosophy. Parents
sit on policy councils and contribute to planning the preschool
program. They also work directly with children in classrooms,
attend special programs on parenting and child development, and
receive services directed to their own social, emotional, and
vocational needs. Presently, there are over 1,300 Head Start
centres located in the U.S. with an enrollment of about 720,000
children.
Considering this program has been operating for over three decades
in the U.S., it has been possible to measure its impact on children's
lives through long-term studies.
Studies showed that
children who received early childhood intervention were:
 Less likely to be placed in special-education
classes.
Less likely to be retained in
grade.
More likely to graduate from high
school than those who had not received early intervention.
There were also lasting benefits in attitudes
and motivation and an association has been made with a reduction
in delinquency, teenage pregnancy and a greater likelihood of
employment. (Berrueta-Clement et al., 1984)
Head Start plants its roots in Canada
30 years later:
In 1995, the federal government established Aboriginal Head Start
to help enhance the child development and school readiness of
Indian, Metis and Inuit children living in urban centres and
large northern communities across Canada. A few years later,
in October 1998, the program was expanded to include on-reserve
First Nations.
The Canadian program has similarities to Project Head Start in the U.S. in that:
it
is community-based.
parental involvement is strongly
encouraged.
the child's emotional, social,
health, nutritional and psychological needs are nurtured.
Generally, it is a half-day program operating
five days a week for children between the ages of 3-5. Health
Canada operates the program and then partners with non-profit
community organizations that deliver the program to children
and their families. The curriculum tends not to be standardized.
In other words, there's no master manual that comes from the
national office in Ottawa dictating what the specific instruction
will be.
However, a number of principles
are
emphasized in all project sites:
1. Aboriginal culture
and language:
This principle and its potential was best expressed by Phil
Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations,
when he responded to the announcement that Aboriginal Head Start
was being expanded to include on-reserve Native children:
"The expansion of this program presents an excellent opportunity
for our children to learn and retain their First Nations cultures
and languages. The Aboriginal Head Start Program also enhances
the holistic approach to child development and education in First
Nations communities. This new opportunity will create a positive
and influential environment for First Nations children that will
empower them to strengthen their pride in themselves and in their
communities."2
2. Social and Physical
Development
Social development in pre-school children is emphasized: children
learn how to interact positively with their peers in a safe and
trusting environment. In terms of physical development, importance
is placed on nutrition, health and physical activity in the belief
that healthy attitudes towards these can begin developing at
an early age.
3. School Readiness
Skills
There is a basic emphasis on trying to get children of all backgrounds
to essentially the same point at the time of school entry. However,
children's readiness for formal schooling cannot be measured
solely by how well they know basic numbers and the alphabet.
A well-rounded program should also meet their emotional, social,
health, nutritional, and psychological needs. Importantly, projects
strive to instill a sense of pride in one's identity, a desire
to learn, and increased confidence.
4. Parental Involvement:
One of the most important principles is the involvement of parents.
Even before a Head Start project opens its doors, parents have
already been actively involved as decision-makers in the planning,
development and starting-up stages. Projects are designed to
help parents develop parenting skills that improve family relationships
and contribute to the child's overall healthy development.
Some projects require that parents participate a minimum of 10
hours per month and many sites report that parental involvement
is much higher than that.
Benefits:
From a health perspective:
There is much powerful evidence that the experiences a child
will have very early in the childhood, whether positive or negative,
will influence the path of that child's path through the rest
of his/her physical, cognitive and social development.
From a health perspective, there is growing evidence showing
that the incidence of disease in older adulthood is related to
early childhood experience. Therefore, there is a valid reason
to pay attention to the experiences provided to very young children.
Shaping the mind:
One often hears the expression "shaping the mind."
What does this actually mean? Just as one would shape a lump
of clay, it refers to the physical structure of the brain being
molded or shaped throughout a person's life. The brain is most
flexible until age 6 and considerable development takes place
during early childhood. This gives good reason for an early start
in intellectual stimulation. As well, there is growing evidence
that the brain works a lot like a muscle - the harder you use
it, the more it grows.
Issues:
1. Overall allocation of public funds:
With research indicating that the brain is most malleable, or
flexible, until age 6, the way in which public funds are spent
essentially does not pay attention to this age group. The state
does a very limited number of things. For example, it has a rescue
function; it will apprehend a child out of a dangerous situation
for referral to child welfare services. It also has a public
health function focused on immunization and then there is daycare
activity. However, the investment put into daycare is largely
a labor market policy. It provides a mechanism by which parents
can participate in the labor market and does not emphasize the
benefits of child development or reduce inequalities in the overall
population.
2. Evaluation:
Whenever the government introduces a major initiative such as
the Aboriginal Head Start program, it is important to document
the benefits of the project. Although there is evaluation activity
in place, it is fairly process-oriented. For example, it measures
children's participation and parental involvement during the
period when the child is enrolled in the program. These are important
things to measure but it is vitally important to measure what
happens to these children when they enter the public school system.
There is a lot of potential for the program to have an effect
on physical and social development and on cultural identity over
the course of one's life.
In closing, the Aboriginal Head Start initiative
is in part the government's response to one of the recommendations
of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, which states:
"By seeking greater control over schooling,
Aboriginal people are asking for no more than what other communities
already have: the chance to say what kind of people their children
will become."
Interview
with Linda Arkwright, Director of
The Aboriginal Early Learning Centre of Montreal
(AWASIS)
Q: Briefly describe AWASIS:
AWASIS is the name chosen by the parents involved with our centre.
It is a Cree word for "child" and its direct translation
is "little rays of sunlight", an appropriate name for
the little ones.
We opened our doors in the spring of 1998 with an early childhood
education program for children ages 3-5. We have had a growing
demand from parents of much younger children, so we converted
some of our space into a Toddlers' Room. We now offer a toddler
program and accept children ages 0-5 years. Altogether, we have
an enrollment of 32 children from many First Nations with a high
registration of Inuit and Cree children.
Q: How is health
and nutrition incorporated into the AWASIS program?
It is a VERY important part of the program and is practiced daily.
We access our local human resources such as health professionals
who come in on average twice per week to give workshops on health
promotion to our educators, parents and children. Also,there
is a nutritionist who gives lessons on such topics as preparing
healthy meals for children and smart shopping for the parents.
Q: Do you have
any suggestions on where to find good books, videos or other
materials on the topics of health and nutrition?
Health Canada has been a valuable resource for information on
many topics surrounding health and children. What is great about
this source is that they have a wide variety of materials that
are free of charge. They're at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Another good source of information is the website for "Today's
Parenting," which can be accessed at: www.todaysparent.com
Thirdly, the Dairy Bureau of Canada has provided AWASIS with
free bilingual information on "child health and milk products."
One can write to them at: Dairy Bureau of Canada, 1981 McGill
College Avenue, Suite #1330, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2X9
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Note
to Readers: |
For more information about the
Aboriginal Head Start program, contact:
Aboriginal Head Start, Childhood and Youth Division,
Health Promotion and Programs Branch, Health Canada, Rm. #2213,
Finance Bldg.,
PL 0202C1, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ont.
K1A 1B5
Tel: (613) 954-8615 or Fax: (613)941-5492
E-mail: Rena_Morrison@INET.HWC.CA
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