About ICF

Calithea Steward

Regional Early Childhood Specialist Manager, Region IV Head Start
Calithea is an early childhood education (ECE) expert with more than 20 years of experience using evidence-based approaches to goal-setting and project management to support children, families, and ECE professionals.

Calithea supports data analysis and data visualization activities pertinent to demonstrating the impact Head Start services have on the nation’s most vulnerable populations. She has more than a decade of direct Head Start experience providing management, training, and technical assistance. Calithea’s extensive skills in areas such as data analysis, infant and toddler care, family childcare, and leadership development give her an evidence-based approach to supporting continuous quality improvements within the ECE system.

Calithea currently serves as early childhood specialist manager within the Region IV T/TA Network. She is a thought leader in supporting data analysis and data visualization activities pertinent to demonstrating the impact Head Start services have on the nation’s most vulnerable populations. Calithea supports the development of presentations in homelessness and foster care, leadership development, and creating quality outcomes in family childcare settings, to name a few.

Calithea engages community partners to support aligning services within the workforce. In 2012, she received the honor of being chosen as one of the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral’s (now Child Care Aware of America) Rising Leaders. The book, Working from a distance: Being your best when you are not with the rest, Dinnocenzo, D., 2012, highlights some of Calithea’s promising practices.

Education
  • B.S. Human and Environmental Sciences, University TN at Martin
  • M.Ed., Freed-Hardeman University
  • M.S.M.L., Western Governor’s University