Goal One: The AHSA will evaluate the performance of the state association by conducting a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to identify the weaknesses relative to the organization to focus on specific areas and to discover new actions to build and enhance the association’s mission by 2023. {Chair: Jackie Govan}
Goal Two: The AHSA will build a larger, stronger, and cohesive state team of Classes (Friends, Directors, Staff, and Parents) in order to support Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) programs and centers on the local level by encouraging ALL programs that they do have a voice and by utilizing a variety of methods to improve the association’s recruitment and attendance processes by 2024. {Chairs: Barbie Baxter & Jennifer Thomas)
Goal Three: The AHSA will set up conditions to increase the knowledge and skills for Content Area Specialists/Coordinators in EHS/Head Start programs by providing educational training, networking, and collaborative opportunities in their specific areas of content and expertise by 2024. {Chair: Michelle Furlow}
Goal Four: The AHSA will work to achieve and maintain QUALITY care learning environments in all local EHS/Head Start programs by encouraging all local centers to become “quality approved” through the Arkansas Better Beginnings/Quality Rating Improvement System (BB/QRIS) to the highest level possible by 2027. {Chair: Sherry Toney)
Goal Five: The AHSA will build and maintain strong, collaborative partnerships with different state agencies and organizations in order to provide ongoing quality services and collaborative activities that will benefit children and families in EHS/Head Start programs across the state by 2027. {Chair: Jackie Govan}
Goal Six: The AHSA Board will demonstrate Leadership Excellence by all Board members governing themselves appropriately as stated in the AHSA Bylaws, Policies and Procedures, and Strategic Plan while serving as a Board member of the AHSA by the end of 2022. {Chair: Jacqueline Burton)
Goal Seven: The AHSA fully supports the National Head Start Association’s (NHSA) Dollar Per Child’s Annual Campaign by advocating the importance of ensuring that Arkansas’ EHS/Head Start children and families are represented in Washington D.C. with funds based on enrollment to support the Head Start voice and the work to improve funding and services for programs by 2025. {Chair: Deana Howell)
Goal Eight: The Arkansas Head Start Association will engage and promote equitable educational services to EHS/Head Start programs by networking and providing professional development and training, webinars, other methods used to eliminate racial disparities, as well as a variety of content areas for staff by 2027. {Chair: Teona Ford & Jackie Govan}