Office of Head Start's Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) System

The Office of Head Start (OHS) has designed its Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) system to support program staff in their delivery of quality services to children and families. The system consists of three components: Direct funding to grantees; State, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) Centers; and National Centers.

OHS expects all three strands of its T/TA system to work together seamlessly to raise quality and improve outcomes for all our children.

Direct Funding to Grantees:
Head Start grantees form the most critical component of Head Start's National T/TA System. At least 50 percent of all T/TA dollars are provided directly to grantees.

State T/TA System:
The goal of the State T/TA System is to create a seamless, easily accessible team of professional development providers at the state, tribal, and local level, who can work with Head Start programs to improve the quality of teaching and other services.

National Centers:
Six National Centers function as a team to provide Head Start grantees with consistent information from OHS across all service areas. Centers communicate "best practices" and provide content-rich, usable, and practical resources to grantees.