State Collaboration with Head Start - 8/29/08

Q: The Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation (ITPC) program is seeking information from other states that have collaborated with Head Start programs. ITPC would like to develop a train-the-trainer type program in which local tobacco control coalition coordinators would be given the skills to work with their local Head Start staff.  The Head Start staff would be trained to deliver tobacco education messages to the parents they serve.  Please share any sample training materials, experiences or advice your state may have in working with Head Start programs in a similar capacity.

A:

1. Alabama – The Alabama Department of Public Health provides Smoke Free  Homes Training to Head Start staff, as well as staff at childcare facilities and other youth-serving organizations. See our Smoke-Free Homes Power Point Presentation. The director or office manager of each facility also receives a folder containing the following materials:
   
   1. ADPH 1-800 Quit-Now Easel
   2. ADPH 1-800 Quit-Now Poster
   3. ADPH 1-800 Quit-Now Quitline brochure
   4. Handout on 6 main conclusions of the 2006 Surgeon General's Report of Secondhand Smoke
   5. Handout:  Preventing Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Before, During, and after Pregnancy (CDC, July 2007)
   6. Handout:  Parents - Help Keep your kids tobacco-free (from CDC, OSH - available through their publication catalog)
   7. Handout:  You(th) should know about tobacco (from CDC, OSH - available through their publication catalog)
   8. Handout:  Raising cigarette taxes reduces smoking, especially among kids (from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids website, www.tobaccofreekids.org)
   9. Handout:  State cigarette tax rates and rank, date of last increase, annual pack sales and revenues and related data (from Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids, www.tobaccofreekids.org)
   10. Copy of the smoke-free home pledge certificate from EPA (available as pdf file from EPA, www.epa.gov)
        
2. Guam – In Guam we have been training individuals on the Arizona Basic Tobacco Intervention in our WIC and other programs and will be shortly conducted with the local Head Start Program trainers whom can then use the method with Head Start parents/families. An initial training session could be done with the Arizona TEPP to get things started.  Indiana can begin by emailing Louise Strayer at lstrayer@u.arizona.edu with the HealthCare Partnership at the University of Arizona or call (520)318-7253 Ext 162.
    
3. Louisiana – Laura Hamasaka (LHamasaka@americanlegacy.org) could be contacted at the American Legacy Foundation. She has been involved with developing a model to work with Head Start Programs.
    
4. Oregon – Oregon information on tobacco prevention efforts with Head Start:
   
   Educational tools for Head Start staff focusing on secondhand smoke and asthma were developed as part of the American Lung Association of Oregon’s Fresh Air for Little Noses Program. Materials are available at http://www.lungoregon.org/tobacco/fafln.html. Also of interest to TCN Network members may be our work with the Oregon Head Start Association and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) in developing new standards for tobacco-free Head Start sites. A new ODE rule will require that all Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten programs have policies prohibiting tobacco use on premises owned or controlled by the Head Start. See http://www.lungoregon.org/tobacco/HeadStart.html for our model policy and information will be added to this page soon regarding the new statewide requirement (effective January 1, 2009 pending final ODE approval). To learn more about efforts in Oregon, please contact: Andrew Epstein, MPH, CHES; School Policy Manager; American Lung Association of Oregon; Phone: 503-718-6147; andrew@lungoregon.org.
    
5. Utah – The following is a description of what one of Utah's local health departments is doing to partner with the Head Start program: 
   
   In 2005 the Davis County Health Department (DCHD) began a local partnership with Head Start that reflects a partnership at the Federal level between the Office of Head Start and the Environmental Protection Agency entitled “Smoke-Free Homes for Head Start Families.” The partnerships were formed with the intention of improving the health and well being of Head Start children and families by limiting their exposure to SHS. The theme for this year is "Care for Their Air." Davis County’s local Head Start program based in Kaysville, Utah, is one of 12 throughout the state and serves about 525 children and families. The majority of this program’s preschool classes are taught in Davis County with several others in Summit County and Morgan County.  DCHD has provided mini-grant funding to address SHS and tobacco use within families through a variety of Head Start programs and activities. Training was provided to classroom teachers, teacher’s aids and Family Service Workers to help them feel comfortable talking to parents about SHS and tobacco use as well as how to incorporate the message with other health topics they already teach. Family Service Workers were also surveyed regarding client exposure to SHS.
   
   To target parents and families, SHS materials are displayed at early registration and a SHS question was added to the enrollment packet. A logo was created to promote smoke-free homes and cars in conjunction with other “wise choices” suggested by Head Start’s mascot, Ollie the Owl. Each year a classroom contest is held for the Great American Smokeout to collect the most smoke-free home pledges. SHS messages are incorporated into monthly Fatherhood Initiatives and Families Involved Together activities. A support group was held for parents trying to quit smoking. On May 18th, 2007 Head Start presented DCHD with an award given annually to recognize an organization that has provided outstanding services and partnered with them throughout the year."
    
   Click here to see an example of one of the messages that was used when
   working with the Head Start program.  
   
   For more information, questions, or requests for sample materials, contact Rachael Cardon, Utah Department of Health, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program; Phone: 801-538-6883; rcardon@utah.gov. 
    
6. Vermont – Vermont has begun to engage the American Legacy Foundation on this issue, after hearing a presentation at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health. Legacy has a program to work with Head Start organizations that they have implemented in other states. They are looking to recruit Head Start programs all across the country.  While we have not worked out all the details with Legacy yet, it looks like they provide all the training to Head Start staff. Indiana can e-mail hs@americanlegacy.org to receive more information.
    
7. West Virginia – West Virginia has no such experience, although we do provide educational materials for all pre-schools.

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