More than eight agencies provide Early Head Start and Head Start services locally. Each program’s hiring process varies, but generally, agencies follow these steps:
- The job announcement is shared. You can find career opportunities in a variety of ways, including on this website, on Head Start agency websites, and online job boards.
- Resumes are screened.
- Candidates must have requisite education + experience
- Teachers must have bachelor’s degree in early childhood + 2 years’ experience
- Assistant teachers must have associate degree + 1 year experience
- Interviews are scheduled
- A team of staff (and sometimes parents) participate in interviews
- Team uses a rating system with each interviewed candidate
- The candidate who scores highest is chosen to fill the position
- The candidate is approved
- The agency's governing council (called Policy Council), including parents, must approve (or be made aware of) the chosen candidate before an offer is made
- An offer is extended (pending step 6)
- The candidate must complete the following pre-employment requirements:
- Background checks
- Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT)
- Transcripts
- Letter of recommendation
- The candidate is officially hired
- The new hire completes an agency orientation and receives a training orientation from the education or center manager.
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