The major purpose of the Windows of Opportunity Project is to partner with Early Head Start (EHS) home-based programs nationally to further refine, implement, and evaluate the Windows of Opportunity, a curriculum designed for EHS staff, families, and children. Windows of Opportunity is an evidence-based curriculum created through funding by the USDHHS, ACF (Grant Nos. 90YF0054 and 90YD0253). This curriculum helps EHS staff to build the competence and confidence of EHS parents to support their young children’s learning, with positive outcomes in children’s behavioral and developmental growth.

There are three major goals of the Windows of Opportunity Project.

1. The Windows of Opportunity curriculum was originally created to help home visitors improve parent and child competence and confidence. A goal of the expansion project is to modify EHS home visitor training modules and to develop materials for program managers to support EHS home visitors’ use of the curriculum. Although previous EHS programs have used the Windows of Opportunity curriculum with success, a major goal of the current project is to bring this curriculum to programs nationwide. Program managers will be able to participate in Webinars to learn how to implement the Windows of Opportunity curriculum and support their staff while they use the materials.
2. To enhance the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Windows of Opportunity curriculum by developing materials for Spanish-speaking Early Head Start (EHS) families. We are currently in the process of creating both print and audio/visual products for families who speak Spanish.
3. To assess the effectiveness of the Windows of Opportunity curriculum in enhancing EHS home visitors’ and families’ use of early childhood practices likely to improve parent and child competence and confidence in a national sample. We will conduct assessments to ensure the Windows of Opportunity curriculum is appropriate for both English-and Spanish-speaking families nationwide. We also will elicit feedback from program managers about the effectiveness of the curriculum with their families and home visitors. Finally, the curriculum will be revised based on this feedback.