A Substance Abuse Training Package for Helping Children Affected by Substance Abuse

ACYF Administration on Children, Youth and Families	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families
	1. Log No. ACYF-IM-HS-95-08	2. Issuance Date: 03/02/95
	3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau
	4. Key Word: Substance Abuse, Children, Classroom Stress, Management Team

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM [See Attachment at the bottom]

TO: All Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: A Substance Abuse Training Package for Helping Children Affected by Substance Abuse

INFORMATION:

Attached is a copy of a substance Helping Children Affected by Substance Abuse; (1) abuse training package with three parts: (2) a manual for the Head Start Management Team, a video for the Head Start Education Teams, Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Substance, Abuse; and (3) a Video Discussion Guide for the Education Teams entitled "Teaching Preschool Children Affected by Substance Abuse."

This set of publications is the third in a series addressing substance abuse. The first two are the already published Head Start Substance Abuse Guide and Supporting Substance-Abusing Families.

Forthcoming materials will provide a handbook on Head Start substance abuse strategies, based on successful results of the recently concluded substance abuse grantees; and a family wellness handbook for use by parents.

The attached materials, especially Tu video, may also be used with the recently published, skillbased training guide for classroom teams, Responding to Children Under Stress.

This training and technical assistance package is designed to:

assist grantee leadership in developing a Head Start program that supports children whose lives are affected by substance abuse; and
provide training to the education and teaching teams that work directly with children whose lives are affected by substance abuse.

It provides planning and teaching strategies, case studies, and other technical assistance resources specifically designed for use in Head Start.

Strategies addressed in this package include:

providing multiple years of Head Start for some children;
carrying out mixed-aged grouping;
modifying staff-to-child ratio and class size;
bringing outside specialists into the classroom;
minimizing daily transitions and distractions;
conducting effective classroom assessment;
supporting parents' involvement in their children's development;
facilitating program transitions;
enriching staff capacity through training;
considering personality characteristics when hiring new staff;
reviewing and adapting existing program policies;
promoting interagency collaboration; and
providing constructive supervision.

These materials are available to all Head Start Programs in multiple copies, without charge, from:

Head Start Publications Center
P.O. Box 26417
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-0417
FAX: (703) 683-5769

We hope that these materials are useful to your program.

/S/
Helen Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau Administration on Children, and Families

Attachment:
Helping Children Affected By Substance Abuse Order Form