Families Reflect on their Year with Durham PreK
August 7, 2024
How it Started
“I’ve been so impressed by the program. I hope it continues to reach out to, you know, more kids. Specifically those who, you know, struggle with having those school experiences before they go into kindergarten. And [that] we make sure to uplift those parents that need those resources.” - 2023/2024 Durham PreK family
In order to assess the success of the Durham PreK initiative, and continue to reflect on ways to improve it, Durham PreK set out to talk with families about their experience in the program in the 2023/2024 year. Alongside their annual family satisfaction survey, the Durham PreK team worked with the research team at Child Care Services Association (CCSA) to complete this small review. As a researcher at CCSA, I hosted a set of interviews and facilitated a couple of focus groups with Durham PreK families who wanted to participate from April to July.
At 3 PM on an April afternoon I welcomed the first of these families on Zoom encouraging the participant to introduce themself ahead of the questions. A joyous “hello” in a familiar southern drawl resounded through the laptop speakers, as did the clanging of pots and pans, a sign that afternoon cleaning or dinner preparations were underway. This was the first participant; her two older children had gone through the program previously. In addition, both of the eldest children were neurodivergent and had received positive assistance from their site’s Exceptional Services and their teachers overall in regards to preparation for kindergarten. Thus, they also wanted their youngest to gain a chance to socialize with other four year olds before going to school. They had found Durham PreK to be a reliable resource for their children and an accessible option financially for their family’s needs.
This family’s story was one of 14 stories that we’d hear over the next few months from families with children enrolled in various Durham PreK sites across the county. Although their experiences cannot be generalized to the total population, the words of these families spotlight not only Durham PreK itself, but also the importance of continuing to uplift the communities that engage with the program in order to ensure its progress moving forward. The main findings are presented hereafter, with quotes from families, and focus on joining Durham PreK, resources and opportunities afforded by Durham PreK, its impact on children’s transition to kindergarten and recommendations for the future.
Listening to Families
Joining Durham PreK
Families interviewed gained awareness of Durham PreK through various means including parent focused Facebook groups, Google searches, advertisements and proximity to sites. Most found the application accessible and highlighted the availability of the Durham PreK staff to aid in questions.
“I took my daughter to the nearby park, and in the kids park there were some stalls displaying the Durham PreK brochures. So that’s how I came to speak to them. So [I said] this is the age of my daughter and they’re all like she is eligible and you should apply for it.”
“So I thought I would wait forever for someone to answer, but I had a completely opposite experience, like people reply very quickly. I constantly got phone calls and I just felt like this is meant to be, you know, like when you feel like everything is going smoothly.”
“So it took a month and during that month, if anywhere I feel difficulty, I contacted Durham PreK team through email or call. So they have been there to help out, so if there was any issue, it’s been resolved like immediately.”
Inside Durham PreK: Resources, Programs and the Day-to-Day
Parents were also encouraged to talk about resources and opportunities available to them through Durham Pre-K. Participants expressed positive experiences with their site’s speech and Exceptional Children services and general praise towards the Durham PreK staff and their child’s teachers.
When discussing opportunities for family engagement available through their site, two participants mentioned volunteering. One father highlighted his site’s Father Enhancement Program and expressed encouragement for more programs supporting the mental health of fathers.
“Through my child’s program right now there’s a father enhancement program. Basically they get the dads to come together every so often and just kind of enhance…like they have job fairs for the fathers. And try to get the dads out and bring us all together basically [...] I’ve talked to the male engagement leader and talked to him about me wanting to get men’s mental health [programs].”
Families were also asked to delve into the procedural aspects of their sites that they were appreciative of or that they found could use improvements. Most expressed appreciation for the structure and stability their sites offered while still offering the leniency that early childhood often requires for both parents and children. Parents showed appreciation for how the program eased financial burden for their families.
“I was afraid that there could be a extra financial burden on my budget sending her to daycare but Durham PreK has done a wonderful job, not only [with] my daughters but I think it has given me a big relief in a way…”
A small number of participants noted a few areas of improvement at their sites. For example, some shared that their sites didn’t offer enough flexibility for drop-off and pick-up times and noted that extending this time by 10-15 minutes could be helpful for families A couple of parents raised concerns about the accessibility of transportation for those children who may need the service, specifically noting those in underserved areas of the county. In the same realm, participants suggested continuing to uplift resources and facilitate more parent involvement.
Durham PreK as a Foundation: Transitioning to Kindergarten
“My kids came from Saudi just speaking Arabic. So, a very huge like milestone is them learning a completely new language[...] the older one is doing much better and he’s interacting with his friends. He has friends. He’s playing with them. And also academically, he knows how to write his name, which is like a very big thing for me that he’d actually write his full name [in] English so yeah, so I feel like he’s definitely learning a lot.”
Many parents specified improved socialization for their children as a result of the program. One couple noted that their child became comfortable holding the microphone and singing to her class their “Kindergarten Song” - a remixed version of the song “Tomorrow” by Quincy Jones and Tevin Campbell.
Parents also noted improved language and literacy as well as fluency amongst children with English as a second language. Others noted that the structure of the program was a valuable component of preparing their child for kindergarten as they saw improved focus and discipline with their children at home. Again, participants spotlighted the teachers for helping their children in the adjustment process.
“Being prior military, I have moved so much. So this is the 1st time that I’ve had a kid[…] going to the same school 2 years in a row. And so it’s a really big deal when I gave her birthday cards to give out and I had 7 kids from her class come to her birthday party. And it was so amazing that she had that connection with friends. And you know, they really are gearing them up for kindergarten and talking to them about it…”
“Yesterday I was helping my kindergartner with his homework and my youngest could help. You know, he was like, “I know this.” So I’m like, oh okay, I know I didn’t cover that with him yet, so that I give fully to the Pre K program and their high expectations of him. And I think that he’ll acclimate perfectly to the kindergarten program that we choose and I just, I was excited about this to say that.”
Families Ideas for the Future
Parents drew from personal experiences to provide recommendations and dreams for the future of Durham PreK to remain consistent in its goals and for the program to further improve. When asked about recommendations for where Durham PreK could continue to reach more families, participants noted many public recreation spaces as well as spaces where families visit often. Examples include grocery stores, doctor’s offices, parks, foodbanks, gyms and city buses. Participants also mentioned social media as a medium of advertisement.
“[...] I think a lot of people have a misconception. So maybe putting something about that on the flier would be helpful. Like all incomes welcome may or something like that. Just to inform people a little bit better. Cause I know a lot of people don’t think that they would have qualified.”
Opportunities that parents would like to see included an introductory session to Durham PreK and protocol, specifically regarding those Durham PreK programs within public schools. Other participants mentioned 2-3 sessions throughout the year to connect with teachers and students would be helpful for future families and opportunities for engagement that were accommodating for their work schedules. Families also suggested connecting with local institutions and organizations such as the public library and the local nonprofit Book Harvest to enhance engagement and learning.
Two participants also mentioned clarifying who can apply and making it clear that it is a program open to all four year olds.
“I think making sure that it’s [Durham PreK advertising] in those community houses of public housing. Like when people come in and they move into our public housing, we give them a flyer and it could already be happening so don’t get me wrong. And at Durham Tech because a lot of our moms that have children are probably in that program who could use those services and may not be aware of them, that could be a support to them.”
Continuing to Grow
Although the experience of the 14 families interviewed cannot be overgeneralized, the comments do represent voices of various parents including mothers, fathers, adopted parents, families with military backgrounds, etc. Durham PreK will continue to gather further information from families with all facets in the future, including families who listed ‘Spanish’ as their language spoken at home, which is a sizable number of people who take part in the program. Still, this small sample of Durham PreK families brought with them a range of contexts and experiences to discuss their time with Durham PreK and what it meant for them and their children, providing an opportunity for the program to reflect and continue to offer the best quality of care for the families. Families who took part demonstrated that hopefully, the quality of the PreK initiative is not compromised by it being a cost effective and accessible option for Durham families.
If you want to know more about our study design…
Families were randomly contacted to participate in either an interview or a focus group with CCSA’s research department about their experiences with the program from April to July 2024. Interviews were offered in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. Nine interviews were conducted and two focus groups were offered: one in English and one with Spanish interpreters present. Both interviews and focus groups were held virtually over Zoom. A sample of questions include:
- How are families aware of Durham Prek and what has been their experience with the application process?
- What types of programs and resources are provided by Durham PreK, how helpful have they been, and what other options would families like to see offered?
- Are there any procedures or rules in your child’s program that you would like to highlight or that you think could improve?
- Where do families suggest Durham PreK advertise the program? and
- How helpful has the program been in their children’s transition to kindergarten?
A total of 14 families participated in either an interview or a focus group. Participants came from various backgrounds and contexts. Families identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African, White Caucasian and mixed race. Languages spoken at home included English, Urdu and Arabic. Those families also came from a wide range of socioeconomic status and family structures.