DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Head Start Briefing and Approval Items
SUMMARY:
This briefing presents the following Head Start grants items:
1. 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Center Enrollment Plans for Approval
2. 2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Community Assessment Update for Approval
3. 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership School Readiness Goals for Approval
4. Briefing on 2016-2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program Information Report
5. Briefing on Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program and Fiscal Report for August 2017
BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires recipients of Head Start grants to provide monthly briefings on program and fiscal activities and ongoing training throughout the program year to their governing bodies. The City’s Community Health and Equity Committee and the Head Start Policy Council provide shared governance oversight of the Department of Human Services (DHS) Head Start grants.
The Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) grant programs are federally funded programs administered by HHS. The programs provide early childhood education, family support, and comprehensive support services to eligible children between the ages of six weeks and five years, and their families.
The Head Start Program serves children at or below the federal poverty line and prioritizes the most vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and children in the foster care system. The program mission is to prepare children and engage families for school readiness and lifelong success. The City of San Antonio program serves a total of 3,020 children: 777 children in the Edgewood Independent School District (EISD) and 2,243 children in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). As the program grantee, Head Start provides direct program management, oversight, training and technical assistance, governance, family support and mental wellness services. The comprehensive services approach positively impacts families and holistically addresses the needs of the children. Head Start also contracts with EISD and SAISD for the provision of educational and disability services, the Metropolitan Health District for dental services, and University of the Incarnate Word for health services.
The Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership grant provides early childhood education and development for low-income families with infants and toddlers (ages 6 weeks to 35 months). Early Head Start partners with six non-profit child care centers to expand access to high-quality comprehensive services for 216 low-income infants and toddlers and their families.
Both Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership provides much-needed services to some of the City’s most vulnerable children. The Five-Year Strategic Plan Goals are to ensure: (1) children are prepared for kindergarten; (2) families are self-sufficient and know how to support children’s school readiness; (3) children are healthy and ready to learn; (4) children have safe environments to learn and thrive; and (5) highly-qualified staff are actively recruited and retained. During the 2017 - 2018 Academic Year, targeted strategies are planned to address improvement of: professional development and retention rates for staff; classroom and facility environments; communication of programmatic success and outcomes; and alignment of goals and data collection with partners.
ISSUE:
The rules and regulations for the Head Start and Early Start Programs as set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services require the Governing Body, the Community Health and Equity Committee, to review and approve Items 1 through 3 below. Items 4 and 5 below are briefing items and only require review by the Community Heath and Equity Committee.
1. 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Center Enrollment Plans - The Head Start Act requires the Governing Body to review and approve the 2017-2018 Center Enrollment Plans. The plans reflect a total of 21 Head Start centers: two in Edgewood Independent School District (EISD) and 19 in San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) reflects a total of six centers, one in the EISD service area and five in the SAISD service area. Through collaboration with the local school districts and centers, the Head Start and EHS-CCP programs provide full-day program instruction to enrolled children. Both are currently at 100% enrollment, with 3,236 children enrolled. The Head Start Policy Council approved the 2017-2018 Head Start Center Enrollment Plans on September 24, 2017.
2. 2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Community Assessment Update - Head Start Performance Standards require the program to conduct a full Community Assessment once every five years, with annual updates. The Head Start Act requires the Governing Body to review and approve the Community Assessment Update annually. The Head Start program conducted a full Community Assessment in 2015; the Assessment includes an analysis of demographic data, disability statistics, education, health, nutrition, and social services needs in the local area served by the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The program uses the Community Assessment information in program planning and for the implementation of initiatives to connect children and families to needed services. The Head Start Policy Council approved the 2017 Community Assessment Update on September 24, 2017.
3. 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership School Readiness Goals - Head Start Performance Standards require the Governing Body to approve Head Start School Readiness Goals annually. These goals, developed in collaboration with EISD, SAISD, and EHS center directors, guide School Year 2017-2018 programming to ensure children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children’s learning, and schools are ready for children. The Head Start Policy Council approved the 2017-2018 Head Start School Readiness Goals on September 24, 2017.
4. Briefing of the 2016-2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program Information Report (PIR) - Head Start and Early Head Start programs are required to submit an annual Program Information Report (PIR). The PIR is an important source of descriptive program and service data and is available to the general public, the Head Start community, and the U.S. Congress.
5. Briefing of Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program and Fiscal monthly activity for August 2017 - This item provides a program and fiscal briefing for the month of August 2017. The report includes a status of enrollment, meals served, family and community support, health, education, and fiscal indicators.
ALTERNATIVES:
The review and approval of the items included in this memorandum are required for program compliance with the HHS rules and regulations for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Head Start and Early Head Start program are funded through HHS federal grants. The items reviewed today have no financial impact.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the items included in this memorandum.
ATTACHEMENTS:
Attachment A: 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Center Enrollment Plans
Attachment B: 2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Community Assessment Update
Attachment C: 2017-2018 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership School Readiness Goals
Attachment D: 2016-2017 Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Program Information Report (PIR)
Attachment E: Monthly Program and Fiscal Briefing