All Head Start programs must establish and maintain an HSAC. The HSAC brings together family members, staff, health professionals, and other community partners. Members may share and review community health data to identify prevalent and emerging concerns in the medical, oral health, behavioral health, nutrition, and human services fields.

A successful HSAC has five key elements:

1. A clearly articulated plan
2. A representative membership
3. Responsive recruitment, orientation, and retention
4. Effective operations
5. An evaluation of HSAC activities

Your program’s vision and mission should guide the work of your HSAC. Include a vision for your HSAC in your program planning. The HSAC can enhance your program’s philosophy and support the design and implementation of services by helping staff and managers understand how to integrate health practices into their work. Program leaders can use the HSAC as a resource to help solve health-related problems and as a tool for identifying and achieving program goals. Strong community partnerships are the key to the success of this approach.

These key steps can support programs in the development of HSAC goals and objectives:

1. Gather existing information about health issues and your program’s health and behavioral health systems.
2. Identify health priorities aligned with program goals, program-level health data, community assessment, and self-assessment.
3. Identify a common purpose that meets program and partner needs.
4. Create action plans for HSAC members.
5. Encourage strong communication, cooperation, and information sharing among HSAC members.

Community assessment data can help a program identify new partnerships to address identified barriers and unmet needs. Programs may consider:

• Developing membership criteria that include areas of expertise, availability, diversity, and interest in and familiarity with early childhood programs
• Selecting members who represent the breadth and depth of a program’s health and mental health services
• Aligning community membership with the program’s health goals, a value-add for both the program and its HSAC members
• Reflecting on updated data and identifying emerging health issues

HSAC membership doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment. Programs can keep members for as long as they want to contribute and as long as their input is needed. A program’s priorities and needs may change from year to year, as well as those of HSAC members.

Community members who frequently sit on HSACs include:

• Pediatric health care providers and family physicians
• Child and adult mental health professionals
• Medicaid and managed care staff
• Dentists and dental hygienists
• Public health department employees
• Nutritional service and nutrition assistance staff
• Substance use treatment providers
• First responders
• School nurses
• Domestic violence prevention and support providers
• Representatives from early intervention services and local education agencies (LEAs)
• Child protective services agency staff
• Providers of prenatal and postnatal support such as doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants
• Media and health communications experts
• Housing assistance staff and providers of services for unhoused families

Head Start managers and staff bring their knowledge of program practices, the daily needs of children and families, and the challenges they face. Local health care providers and representatives from community organizations provide expertise about specific health issues or service delivery systems. Families play a central role in the HSAC. They bring their perspective about the availability and quality of local services as well as barriers for low-income families. This perspective creates the context for a family-centered focus for conversations with other HSAC members. HSACs that prioritize a family-centered focus are better able to provide comprehensive, integrated, and effective health and mental health services to children and their families. A successful HSAC will create and sustain connections that can build healthier communities for everyone.

Because Head Start programs have a strong emphasis on prevention, the HSAC can be proactive and promote prevention and early intervention strategies as well as address problems as they arise. HSACs may also establish and review health policies and procedures, mobilize community resources, and consult on issues at the request of Head Start program leaders.

For example, the HSAC can provide guidance to the program about how to:

• Access health, dental, and mental health services
• Serve Head Start children with special health care needs, such as asthma, diabetes, food allergies, and seizure disorders
• Address barriers to prenatal and postpartum care
• Obtain lead screenings and tests
• Schedule oral health visits and services
• Use topical fluoride, water fluoridation, and other oral health services
• Test and employ preventive measures for community health problems, including sickle cell anemia, intestinal parasites, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, early childhood caries (cavities), overweight conditions and obesity, head lice, and hepatitis A
• Promote immunizations
• Administer medication
• Obtain records from staff physicals
• Integrate emergency planning within the broader community
• Support injury prevention activities to promote safety
• Provide health education to staff
• Identify local staff wellness resources

Tips and Strategies for Building an Effective HSAC

• Watch these videos to learn more about developing and sustaining a successful HSAC.
• Explore Weaving Connections, a toolkit that programs can use to help plan, recruit, engage, and evaluate the work of the HSAC.

Last Updated: August 9, 2024