Central Texas 4C, Inc.
Policy Council By-Laws
Revised May 2016
Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be the Central Texas 4C Policy Council. All other subsequent references to the group in these by-laws shall be the Policy Council.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the Policy Council shall be to provide Head Start and Early Head Start parents and other concerned community members opportunities to participate in the process of decision-making about the nature and operation of the Central Texas 4C, Inc. Head Start Programs.
Article III – Goals and Objectives
The goals and objectives of the Policy Council shall be:
(a)To serve as a link between public and private organizations, the Central Texas 4C, Inc. Board of Directors, and the communities served;
(b)To have the opportunity to initiate suggestions and ideas for program improvements and to receive reports on actions taken by the administering agency with regard to those recommendations;
(c)To plan, coordinate, and organize agency-wide activities for parents with the assistance of Central Texas 4C, Inc. staff;
(d)To recruit volunteer services from parents, community residents, and community organizations and mobilize community resources to meet identified needs;
(e)To coordinate the efforts of parents and committee representatives to work together to serve the best interests of all children enrolled in the Central Texas 4C, Inc. Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.
To accomplish these goals and objectives, the Policy Council must work in partnership with key management staff and governing bodies to approve / disapprove the following:
*Decisions regarding the location of centers and classrooms;
*All written plans for the delivery of Head Start/Early Head Start services;
*Recruitment and criteria for selection and enrollment of children;
*All funding applications and budgets, including amendments, prior to further action;
*The composition of the 4C Policy Council itself.
The Policy Council also is given the opportunity to discuss and have input prior to the approval / disapproval of:
*Hiring or termination of the Central Texas 4C, Inc. Executive Director;
*Hiring or termination of Central Texas 4C, Inc. staff.
In addition, the Policy Council assists management staff with the following:
(a)Providing information about community needs;
(b)Taking an active role in the program’s self-assessment;
(c)Serving as communication links back to Center Committees;
(d)Recruiting volunteers;
(e)Establishing methods of hearing and resolving community complaints.
Article IV – Meetings
Schedule: The Policy Council must meet at least four times a year but may meet more often if needs arisefor a special called meeting. Regular meeting months are August / September, November, February, and April / May. In an emergency, a phone poll may be conducted to register approval / disapproval when time, weather, or transportation problems exist.
Quorum: A quorum will consist of seven members of whom a minimum offour, or 57%, are parents.
Attendance: Members are urged to attend each meeting. If a member cannot attend it is that member’s responsibility to notify the Family & Community Coordinator who will then notify the alternate. Members who have three absences without prior notification risk losing their positions on the Policy Council. Inactive members and their affected centers will be notified in writing.
Article V – Membership
The total number of members shall equal the number of classrooms plus three Community Representatives. For example, if there were 30 classrooms, the Policy Council would have 33 members. There will always be a minimum of 51% parents.
Election Procedures – Parents: At the beginning of each new school year, each classroom will elect one Policy Council Representative and one Policy Council Alternate. Both will attend the orientation / transition meeting at the start of school.
Election Procedures – Community Representatives: At the first meeting in the fall, the Executive Director will submit names for nomination as Community Representatives for the following new school year. Policy Council members may also nominate. The Policy Council shall approve / disapprove those persons nominated.
Term of Membership: All terms are one year in length. The maximum number of terms a person can serve is three. All members of one-year terms are asked to also attend the first meeting of the next year to help guide new members and serve as transition from the “old” Policy Council to the “new.”
Vacancies: If a Parent Representative vacates his / her position, that classroom’s Alternate will fill the position. If the Alternate cannot serve, that classroom will elect a new Parent Representative within thirty (30) days. If a Community Representative vacates the position, the Executive Director, acting on behalf of the agency’s board, will nominate another Community Representative. The Policy Council shall then approve / disapprove the nomination.
Voting Rights: Each Parent and Community Representative has one vote. All Representatives may vote on any matter that comes before the Policy Council and may hold any office. Central Texas 4C, Inc. staff members may attend meetings but may not vote. Generally accepted practice states that the Chairperson of the Policy Council does not vote except to break a tie vote.
Nepotism: No staff member of Central Texas 4C, Inc., nor members of his / her family, shall serve on the Policy Council in a voting capacity.
Article VI – Officers
Officers of the Policy Council shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary. Officers shall be elected at the first Policy Council meeting of the new school year.
Duties:
1.Chairperson: Presides at all Policy Council meetings; assists the Executive Director and Family & Community Coordinator in preparing the agenda; calls special meetings and appoints committees; chairs the Executive Committee; sits as a voting member on the Central Texas 4C, Inc. Board of Directors. If the Chairperson is unable to attend 3 consecutive meetings (Board and Policy Council) without notification, Vice Chairperson will automatically assume the position for the remainder of the year.
2.Vice Chairperson: Assumes the Chairperson’s duties in case of absence; serves on the Executive Committee; performs other duties deemed necessary by the Chairperson.
3.Secretary: Calls the roll of members to establish a quorum; takes minutes, ensures a sign-in sheet that records the names of meeting participants; collects reasons for member absences; provides written notification to terminated members and their respective centers following approval of the Chairperson. Minutes may be typed, but the original minutes with the signatures of either the Chairperson or Secretary must be kept on file. The minutes shall include the date and location of meetings and a summary of the business discussed and decisions made.
Article VII – Committees
Standing Committees: The following committees shall be set up within the Policy Council. The purpose of these committees is to review related information and present recommendations to the Policy Council for approval / disapproval. All committee information is confidential, and any breach of that confidentiality will result in removal from the Policy Council.
1.Executive Committee: The three officers of the Policy Council are automatically members of this committee. The purpose of the Executive Committee is to promote discussion and make recommendations regarding operations of the Policy Council and its policies & procedures. Other Policy Council members may serve on this Committee. The staff member in charge of getting information to this Committee is the Executive Director or the Executive Director’s designee. By-laws revisions are one of the primary functions of this Committee.
2.Finance Committee: This Committee will be active in the grant / budget review process. The Committee will discuss concerns of all budgetary matters and will make recommendations to the full Policy Council for approval / disapproval. The staff member in charge of getting information to the Finance Committee is the Finance Director.
3.Personnel Committee: This Committee will review the proposed hiring and termination information and will make recommendations to the Policy Council for approval / disapproval. Members of this committee will be invited to help interview prospective employees of the agency. The staff member in charge of getting information to the Personnel Committee is the Human Resources Manager.
4.Program Operations Committee: This committee will look at community assessment and self-assessment information as well as members’ individual sites in order to help guide the operations of the Head Start program. The staff member in charge of getting information to the Program Operations Committee is the Head Start Director.
The Chairperson of the Policy Council has the right to appoint any other committee that is deemed necessary, either on a temporary or long-term basis. Representation on any committee will be at least 51% parent representatives.
Article VIII – Amendment of By-Laws
These by-laws may be amended, revised, or repealed and new by-laws may be adopted at any meeting of the Policy Council by an affirmative vote of 75% of the duly constituted quorum, providing:
1.Changes have been introduced, entered, and read into the minutes of the preceding meeting of the Policy Council, and
2.Mailed to each member at least five days prior to the meeting at which the final action is to be taken.
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