About Head Start Collaboration Office

What is the Head Start State Collaboration Office?

The purpose of the Georgia Head Start State Collaboration Office is to foster partnerships between federally funded Head Start programs and other entities in the state that serve low-income children (birth to school entry) and their families. The federal funding for this office at DECAL comes from the Office of Head Start in the Administration for Children and Families at DHHS. The position is housed within the DECAL Executive Division and reports to the Commissioner.

About the Head Start Collaboration Office Director

Allison Setterlind is the Head Start State Collaboration Director at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). Ms. Setterlind represents the Georgia Head Start programs as a member of multiple partnerships focused on serving Georgia’s youngest children, including the First Lady’s Children’s Cabinet and the State Interagency Coordinating Council with Part C early intervention. You may contact her at 404-651-7425 or allison.setterlind@decal.ga.gov.

Goals of the Head Start Collaboration Office 2023-2028

Goal 1 Child Care Partnerships	The HSCO will support collaboration within DECAL and throughout the State to strengthen partnership-driven early childhood programs.
Goal 2 Data	The HSCO will foster data innovation to support the effective and efficient delivery of services across early childhood programs in Georgia.
Goal 3 Workforce	The HSCO will advance the recruitment, retention, and ongoing development of Georgia’s professional early learning workforce in Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Goal 4 Program Quality	The HSCO will reinforce Head Start participation in the State Quality Rated system and bolster improvement for centers rated below the maximum 3-star rating.
Goal 5 Child Outcomes	The HSCO will promote transition continuity and sustainable child outcomes for children birth to third grade across all Head Start early learning domains.
Goal 6 System Building	The HSCO will contribute to the coordination of Georgia’s mixed delivery system to better meet the early intervention, health, and well-being needs of all children under age 5, especially those children and families served by Head Start and Early Head Start.