Attitudes of Head Start staff toward cross-cultural issues related to food and nutrition services

Attitudes of Head Start staff toward multicultural families were investigated to identify factors that could enhance program cross-cultural effectiveness in the area of food and nutrition services. Questionnaires were provided by 86 Head Start staff working with families at 12 sites in Seattle, Washington (79% response). The Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory, used to assess attitudes of counselors working with culturally diverse children, was adapted to assess the staff's attitudes. Results suggested overall positive attitudes toward families as cultural resources; however, issues related to cross-cultural communications appeared problematic for some staff. Implications for staff training and further research are discussed.