If your education and training goals change because of an emergency, Head Start and Early Head Start family services staff and home visitors can work with you. For example, you may need to look for a new job or get a referral for a community-based program. You may have time to enroll in online courses to advance your education. Head Start and Early Head Start staff can help you access key resources and take steps to achieve your immediate and long-term education and training goals.

Your Head Start and Early Head Start family services staff or home visitor can partner with you to:

• Identify your immediate education and training goals and revisit your long-term education and training goals
• Plan concrete actions
• Track your progress and celebrate your successes

Spotlight On: Education and Training Goals

Identify Your Immediate Education and Training Goals and Revisit Your Long-Term Education and Training Goals

• Talk with your family services staff or home visitor about the education and training goals you need help with right now, your strengths, and your long-term education and training goals.

Plan Concrete Actions

• Explore job training resources. Connect to the Career One Stop website and other job training resources.
• Register for GED classes. Libraries, community colleges, and technical colleges provide information about General Educational Development (GED) preparation classes and the exam.
• Enroll in online courses. Local two-year and four-year colleges may offer online courses that could help you advance your education and training goals. The Community College Finder on the American Association of Community Colleges website also provides information about online courses.
• Find a school. Use the online College Navigator tool or the Community College Finder to explore college options. You can search by state, type of school, major, and other criteria.
• Check a school’s accreditation. Use the Look Up a School tool online from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to find out if a college or university is accredited. Accreditation means that a school meets certain standards of quality. This is important because employers often require that job applicants have attended an accredited school or program. Employers often require that job applicants have attended an accredited school or program.
  • You can use the College Scorecard to learn about colleges’ graduation rates, average annual costs, and the salary ranges of their graduates. You can access the College Scorecard on the ED website.
• Consider costs. Think about your finances when looking for a school. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has online tools that can help you choose a school that you can afford. You also can learn about ways to finance your education.

Track Your Progress and Celebrate Your Successes

Family services staff and home visitors can follow up with you about your progress toward meeting your education and training goals. Celebrate your successes!

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Last Updated: October 2, 2023