In the first of four training sessions, REL Northwest will guide the West Central Mountains Economic Development Council Early Learning Advisory Committee (WCM ELAC) in updating their 2020 Community Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment to support post-pandemic programming that meets the needs of families and improves kindergarten readiness in the region. In this session, REL Northwest will introduce community assessment using the guide Community Assessment: The Foundation for Program Planning in Head Start. Following steps from this guide, REL Northwest will review the WCM ELAC's previous needs assessment approach and identify strengths and areas for improvement. By the end of the session, participants will generate an outline for a revised needs assessment approach, including tasks, timeline, and data sources.
