Why History Matters

I recently presented a full-day in-kind planning session at the Region IV Head Start Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The session focused on ways for the audience to break down in-kind into actionable items when they got back home.

One of the questions was (and always is), “Why do we need to get in-kind?” As always, we can show where in the regulations it is required, but just because it’s a “have to do” doesn’t mean people are always engaged to get it done.

Instead, we discussed the history of the program. When I asked them to share why they believed it was important to go back and share the history of the program as it relates to generating in-kind, here were a few of the responses:

• We are not always sure how we can help others. Using specific details of history helps us share our message better.
• Understanding the history shares the intent of in-kind, which is community participation.
• It identifies that even in economic downturns, we still need community participation in the form of in-kind.
• It shares that we really serve all ages (through family engagement)
• History builds our future, just like HS/EHS is building our future through those children we serve.

Have you ever shared the history of where a regulation or requirement — a “have to” — comes from? What was it, and what was the result?

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Tammy

Tammy Jelinek has over 20 years of experience in working in and with grant-funded and fee-for-services nonprofit organizations. She has trained nationally in the areas of OMB Uniform Guidance, Head Start/Early Head Start Act and program performance standards, parent/volunteer involvement and more. And Tammy has a passion for helping programs help the families they serve! Learn more at wipfli.com/ngp.

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