Head Start Social Services : How African American Mothers Use and Perceive Them

This text examines the social, economic and psychological benefits which five economically disadvantaged African American women report receiving following particpation in the federally funded "Head Start" project.

First published in 1999. Project Head Start, a federal child development program for low-income families, serves both the mother and her children. Previous studies have emphasized Head Start''s influence on the child in terms of cognitive gains, social development, and social-emotional development. A continuing problem to understanding the extent of Head Start impact on families is the absence of reliable information about Head Start''s influence on the mother and how that influence transfers to the family as they work toward self-sufficiency. This study investigated two issues: (1) the experiences, perceptions, and levels of involvement of mothers who participate in Head Start social services, and (2) how these mothers describe their benefits and relate these benefits to family experiences such as increased problem-solving, coping, and parenting skills.