1302 – Program Operations (approved by PC mos./year)
Standard/Regulation / Activities / Who/When / Evidence1302.1 Overview. / ECKAN implements the statutory requirements in Sections 641A, 645, 645A, and 648A of the HS Act by incorporating all of the regulations that are required to operate Head Start and Early Head Start programs. ECKAN includes the full range of operations from enrolling eligible children and providing program services to those children and their families, to managing programs to ensure staff are qualified and supported to effectively provide services. ECKAN uses data as part of ongoing program improvement to ensure high-quality service. As required in the HS Act, these provisions do not narrow the scope or quality of services covered in previous regulations. Instead, these regulations raise the quality standard to reflect science and best practices, and streamline and simplify requirements so programs can better understand what is required for quality services. / All Staff, HS Director, HS Mgmt. Team. Ongoing.
(As denoted below). / Child Outcomes, Parent Outcomes, Monitoring Tools, Meeting Minutes, Annual Self-Assessment, Community Reports, Parent Surveys, etc.
(As denoted below).
Subpart A - (ERSEA) / Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance
1302.10 Purpose. / ECKAN determines community strengths, needs and resources as well as the recruitment area for Head Start and Early Head Start services in this subpart. We also describe the how our agency interprets and implements the requirements for eligibility determination, recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance of children, as well as our policy on fees. / All Staff, HS Director, HS Mgmt. Team. Ongoing.
(As denoted below). / Policies, Procedures, Outcomes, Monitoring Tools, Meeting Minutes, Self-Assessment, Participant Surveys/Feedback, etc.
(As denoted below).
1302.11 Determining community strengths, needs, and resources. / (a) The service area for ECKAN Head Start includes the counties of Anderson, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Lyon, Miami, Morris and Osage. Recruitment efforts are done ongoing to determine what services are provided in each of the counties.
(b) ECKAN conducts a community assessment every three years and updates the community assessment all other years. The assessment describes community strengths, needs, and resources, which includes:
-all of the items required in (b)(1)&(2) of this standard.
-significant changes in each county and primary communities served and is reflected in all updates each year.
Ongoing strategic planning includes consideration about the characteristics of the community that allow children from diverse economic backgrounds to be supported by other funding sources. / ECKAN Multi-County Board, CEO, Head Start Director. Ongoing.
ECKAN Multi-County Board, CEO, Head Start Director, Asst. HS Director. Every three years and annually.
HS Director, Asst. HS Director. Annually and ongoing. / Grant Narrative, Recruitment documentation, HS Mgmt. Team mtg. minutes, PC and Board mtg. minutes.
Community Needs Assessment and Updates.
HS Mgmt. Team mtg. minutes, Board and PC mtg. minutes, strategic planning document.
1302.12 Determining, verifying, and documenting eligibility / The following steps are taken as part of the application process: (See ERSEA Procedure)
Program Staff:
- Conduct an in-person interview with each family.
- Create an eligibility determination record for enrolled participants.
Age requirements:
- For EHS, except when the child is transitioning to HS, a child is an infant or a toddler younger than three years old.
- For Head Start, a child is at least 3 years old by August 31st and no older than 4 years old by September 1st of the year in which they apply to attend.
Eligibility requirements:
- A pregnant woman or a child is eligible if: the family’s income is equal to or below the Federal poverty guideline; or, the family is eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) including Supplemental Security Income (SSI); or, the child is homeless according to the McKinney Vento Act; or, the child has an open foster care case.
Additional allowances for programs:
- ECKAN Head Startfill up to 35% of enrolled slots with children from families with income between 100-130% of poverty. All income eligible children are selected first. ECKAN Head Start does not fill more than 10% of enrollment slots with children who are above 130% of poverty.
Verifying age:
- Program staff verify a child’s age according to program policies and procedures. ECKAN does not require families to provide documents that confirm a child’s age, if doing so creates a barrier for the family to enroll the child.
Verifying eligibility:
- Required proof of income, TANF (including SSI), homelessness, or foster care is verified before determining that the applicant is eligible to participate in the program. Verification includes examination of the printed documents that are required as part of application procedure (see Application Procedure). Each application includes a signed statement by a member of the ECKAN Head Start management team, identifying which documents were examined and stating how the child is eligible to participate in the program. The application and the verification form then goes to another member of the ECKAN Head Start management team for it to be verified a second time, signed off on, and returned to be put on the waitlist.
Eligibility duration:
- If a child is determined eligible and is enrolled in a HS program, they remain eligible through the end of the succeeding program year. If a child is determined eligible and is enrolled in an EHS program, they remain eligible through the end of the program year of their third birthday.
Records:
- ECKAN Head Start maintains eligibility determination records for all enrolled children and families for five years after they have stopped receiving services.
Training on eligibility:
- ECKAN Head Start teaches all governing body, policy council, management team members, and staff who determine eligibility on how to: collect and complete accurate eligibility documentation from families and third party sources, incorporate strategies for treating families with dignity and respect, and explains program policies and procedures that describe actions taken against staff or families who attempt to intentionally provide false information. All staff receive training within 90 days of hire to make eligibility determination. Governing body and Policy Council members are provided similar training within 180 days of being seated. / All Staff
Mgmt. Team
Mgmt. Team
Additional Mgmt. Team Members
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
Director, Asst. Director, FSC
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
Director, Asst. Director, FSC / Application Packet, Contact Notes, Parent Interviews
Signed Income Eligibility Form in each child file, Staff interviews, monitoring reports
Proof of birth with application packet
Proof of birth with application packet
Proof of eligibility in child’s file, Signed Income Verification Form
myHS report, Income Verification Form, copy of income documentation, PC reports
copy of documentation used to prove age
Proof of income in child’s file, signed income verification form
Proof of age in child’s file, myHS.com reports
Proof of eligibility in Archived Files
Meeting Minutes, Training Agenda, Training Contract, Sign-In Sheets
1302.13 Recruitment of children. / In order to reach those most in need of services, ECKAN has developed and implemented a recruitment process designed to actively inform all families with eligible children within the recruitment area of the availability of program services, and encourages and assists them to apply for the program. (see ERSEA Procedure)
-ECKAN includes specific efforts to actively locate and recruit children with disabilities and other vulnerable children, including homeless children and children in foster care. / ERSEA Coord.
Mgmt. Team / Recruitment Procedure, Recruitment Book, Waitlist
1302.14 Selection Process. / Selection criteria:
- The selection criterion insures that children, who are homeless, in foster care, receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or meet poverty guidelines will be accepted first. The selection criterion is reviewed annually and utilizes data from the Community Needs Assessment.
Children eligible for services under IDEA:
- ECKAN Head Start ensures at least ten percent of its funded enrollment is filled with children verified with disabilities in accordance to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Waiting lists:
- ECKAN Head Start uses myHS.com to develop a waitlist that is maintained throughout the year. The waitlist ranks children according to the program’s selection criteria to assure eligible children enter the program as vacancies occur. / Parents, All Staff
Mgmt. Team
Mgmt. Team
Director, Asst. Director, FSC
All Staff
Mgmt. Team / PC & Eligibility Criteria Committee Meeting Minutes, myHS.com reports, Selection Criteria, Selection Procedure
Eligibility Procedure, Enrollment Procedure, MyHS.com reports
Waitlists, MyHS.com reports, Application Procedure
1302.15 Enrollment. / Funded enrollment:
- ECKAN Head Start maintains the funded enrollment level and fills any vacancy as soon as possible and within 30 days of opening, up to the end of the program year.
Continuity of enrollment:
- Each child enrolled in the Head Start 3-5 option is allowed to remain in the program until kindergarten is available in the child’s community. On rare occasions, children may be eligible to apply for a third year of services. In those cases, income and family information is re-verified to attend the third year.
Voluntary parent participation:
- Parent participation in any program activity is voluntary, including consent for data sharing, and is never required as a condition of any child’s enrollment. / All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team / myHS.com reports, class lists, staff feedback
Application Packet, child file documentation, myHS.com reports, parent feedback, staff feedback
Parent Report, No Payment Fee Policy, staff meeting minutes, parent orientation, parent feedback
1302.16 Attendance. / Promoting regular attendance:
- Attendance is tracked in myHeadStart.com(myHS). Children must be present to be recorded in myHS as “present”. If a child is unexpectedly absent and the program has not been contacted, staff attempts to contact the parent the same day to check the child’s well-being. Staff conducts home visits if they cannot contact a family within two business days. All contacts and attempted contacts are documented in myHS.
- East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN) Head Start staff will provide information to all enrolled families about the benefits of regular attendance as part of orientation and as needed thereafter. Staff will support families to identify and utilize resources to help with attendance as needed.
Managing systematic program attendance issues:
- When any child’s attendance falls below 85%, two months in a row, the immediate Supervisor will bring information, including reasons why the child was absent, to the first management team meeting each month that falls after the 7th of the month (typically the 2nd Wednesday meeting). The management team determines what steps need to be taken. / All Staff
Mgmt. Team
All Staff
Mgmt. Team
SUPR
Mgmt. Team / myHS reports, Case Notes, Attendance Procedure
myHS reports, case notes, referral notes, documentation of information or training provided, parent handbook, parent orientation, parent feedback
myHS report, Meeting Minutes
1302.17 Suspension and expulsion. / (a) When children’s behavior becomes a safety threat for other participants, the family and mental health consultant (along with appropriate staff members) are immediately consulted as part of a Staffing Plan. The written plan may include a short period of suspension in order to get the appropriate supports in place to ensure positive outcomes for all participants. A variety of supports may be developed to support the child’s development, including community resources, home visits, and/or referral for further evaluation and possible services, including the local LEA’s special education program. The child and family will continue to receive appropriate services as outlined in the written plan. Short-term suspension is rarely used due to a child’s behavior.
(b) Expulsion is never usedas an option to deal with children’s behavior. In very rare cases, expulsion may be used if a parent threatens staff or other program participants. / All Staff, HS Mgmt. Team. Ongoing. / Center/Site Team mtg. minutes, Staffing Plans, HS Mgmt. Team mtg. minutes, Program Written Plan, Mental Health correspondence, family correspondence, individual child/family plans, staffing notes
1302.18 Fees. / ECKAN Head Start does not charge any fees for any children or families to receive HS/EHS services and does not condition any child’s enrollment on the ability to pay for additional services. All possible funding is considered and accessed as part of the planning process to provide high quality services for all community children. When other funding is used, those program requirements are followed as well as the Head Start Program Performance Standards, adhering to the most stringent rules when they overlap. / All Staff, HS Mgmt. Team.Ongoing. / Fiscal Reports, Parent Surveys, Staff Surveys, HS Mgmt. Team mtg. minutes, no payment policy
Subpart B / Program Structure
1302.20 Determining Program Structure. / ECKAN determines appropriate program structure in each community, based on the needs of families as identified through the agency community needs assessment and program self-assessment. This process is part of the ongoing strategic plan and includes center-based, home-based, and family childcare partnership services. Structure is based upon identified need. Comprehensive services are provided in all program options as required within the Head Start Program Performance Standards. / HS Mgmt. Team, HS Director, Asst. HS Director. / Services provided, grant, community assessment and updates, self-assessment, strategic plan, PC and Board mtg. minutes, monitoring reports.
1302.21
Center-based option. / -ECKAN provides center-based services for preschoolers in facilities owned by ECKAN, in community partner sites, or through partnerships with school districts. Hours of service is at least 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, throughout the regular school year.
-ECKAN provides a minimum of 1,020 hours of service for preschool children in a center-based option for over 40% of the classrooms. Strategic Planning will continue to be utilized to ensure all preschool center-based classrooms provide at least 1,020 hours by August 1, 2021.
-Center-based services for infants and toddlers are provided through partnership contracts with community partners. Services are provided through full-day option for parents who are working or going to school at least 30 hours per week. Quality planned services are provided for enrolled children for at least 1,380 hours each program year.
-ECKAN abides by all applicable regulations and requirements, including Head Start Program Performance Standards, Kansas Early Head Start regulations, and Kansas Child Care Licensing regulations; this includes ratios for all program options.
-ECKAN Head Start has no double-session classes, effective August 1, 2017. / HS Mgmt. Team, Director, Asst. HS Director.Ongoing.
HS Mgmt. Team, HS Director, Asst. HS Director.Ongoing.
HS Mgmt. Team, HS Director, Asst. HS Director.Ongoing.
All staff,HS Mgmt. Team.Ongoing. / Grant, classroom observation reports, parent/child sign-in & sign-out sheets, monitoring tools.
Grant, classroom observation reports, parent/child sign-in & sign-out sheets, monitoring tools, strategic plan.
Grant, classroom observation reports, parent/child sign-in & sign-out sheets, monitoring tools.
Self-Assessment, Monitoring Tools, State and Federal Monitoring Reports.
1302.22
Home-based option. / -ECKAN Head Start provides home-based services for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children in areas where center-based services are not available or in communities where families have elected to have home-based services.
-Caseloads of 10-12 children are maintained for each home-visitor.
-Visits are planned for 90 minutes each week and each family is scheduled for a minimum of 32 visits annually for the preschool option and 46 visits annually for the EHS option.
-Two socialization activities are planned each month. / Home Visitors, Supervisors, HS Mgmt. Team. Ongoing.
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MyHS.com Reports.
Lesson plans, HV Reports.
DOT Plans, MyHS.com Reports,
Parent and Staff Feedback
1302.23 Family child care option. / -The Family childcare option is used to serve EHS children enrolled and funded through the Kansas Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Grant.
-Expectations are spelled out in formal agreements/contracts, which are signed annually. All of the services are required to meet the guidelines and regulations of the Head Start Program Performance Standards.
-Childcare Partnership Specialists (CPS) provide child development specialist support to family child care providers and monitor services to ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations. / CPS,HS Mgmt. Team, HS Director. Ongoing.