HEAD START PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Origin of Policies and Procedures
Developing Policies and Procedures
How Procedures Are Developed
What To Do If a Procedure Doesn't Work
Establishing Procedures for Special Situations

RECORD KEEPING
Types of Records
Who Keeps What Records?
Record-Keeping Tips
Keeping Records Current and Meaningful
Maintaining Confidentiality
Transferring Children's Records

TRACKING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE EDUCATION COMPONENT
Purposes of Reviewing Activities
Areas Reviewed
Designing and Implementing a Tracking System

OVERSEEING FACILITIES
Ensuring a Safe and Healthy Environment
Criteria for Assessing a Safe and Healthy Environment

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL ADMINISTERING

RESOURCES

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THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR FOR ADMINISTERING THE EDUCATION COMPONENT

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• Promoting staff understanding of policies and procedures and ensuring that the Education Component adheres to these policies and procedures.
• Participating in the development and refinement of local policies and procedures that guide the Education Component.
• Reviewing records for the Education Component and ensuring that other records kept by the education staff are maintained as required.
• Designing and maintaining a system for tracking all activities in the component to ensure that the Education Component Plan and the program's policies and procedures are being followed.
• Ensuring that the staff and parents are involved in tracking activities.
• Ensuring that the classroom and outdoor play areas meet requirements for a safe and healthy environment.

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BEFORE READING THIS CHAPTER

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• Complete the self-assessment for this chapter.
• Obtain a copy of the program's policies and procedures and review them.
• Discuss with the Director what tracking systems are in place for the Education Component and what is expected of each coordinator.
• Find out what records are kept in the Education Component, who is responsible for keeping them, and where they are kept.

SELF-ASSESSMENT:
ADMINISTERING THE EDUCATION COMPONENT

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

1. Do I coordinate with others to develop program procedures?
    a. component coordinators
    b. staff
    c. parents
    d. the Director
2. Are program policies and procedures:
    a. in written form?
    b. clearly stated?
    c. shared with all staff, parents and volunteers?

RECORD KEEPING

3. Have I developed effective record-keeping forms?
4. Do I periodically review children's records to ensure that they
    are complete and up to date?
5. Are records that need to be confidential so indicated and kept in a locked file?

OVERSEEING FACILITIES

6. Do I monitor the health and safety of the classrooms and playgrounds?
7. Do I use a standard checklist to oversee facilities and is it
    tied to standards?

TRACKING

8. Have I developed a tracking system?
9. Is there a workable tracking schedule?
10. Do parents and staff help track and review the component?

Review your responses, especially those you marked "Needs My Attention," and circle the topics you want to work on. List them below in order of their importance to you.

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HEAD START PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

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Policies for the Education Component reflect the over all philosophy of Head Start's educational program. They outline the ways in which the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of children will be met and state what is expected of staff.

Procedures are the tools or processes for implementing program policies. They should always be stated clearly in writing and shared with staff, parents, and all volunteers.

THE ORIGIN OF POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES

The policies, or requirements, governing the Head Start program come from the Performance Standards and from periodic notices that the regional and national offices send to the Director. Policies also are derived from state, local, and county regulations, which must be met to ensure a safe and healthy environment. These policies are generally found in the state licensing requirements, which can be obtained from the agencies responsible for licensing. They usually address:

• building and space requirements;
• health requirements for staff and children; and
• personnel requirements (such as staff-child ratios and training).

In some cases the Performance Standards can be superseded by a local ordinance, e.g., a zoning or licensing regulation regarding the amount of space required for each child in the classroom. In all cases, programs are to follow the most stringent of the regulations that apply in a local jurisdiction.

Procedures for meeting Head Start policies and local requirements must be developed by individual programs. These procedures must meet the program needs.

DEVELOPING POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES

In Head Start programs, local program policies and procedures are jointly developed by staff and, parents. Education Coordinators work closely with the education staff, parents, volunteers, members of the Policy Council/Committee, and often with other component coordinators. For example, the Director has operating responsibility for establishing enrollment policies, which must then be approved by the Policy Cousicil/Committee. The establishment of enrollment procedures is usually the responsibility of the Social Services and Parent Involvement Coordinators. The Education Coordinator might participate and offer suggestions on how the education staff could be involved. All policies are reviewed and approved by the Policy Council/ Committee and some are developed by the Policy Council/Committee.

The policies and procedures in a given program will depend on several factors including:

• program options;
• total number of children served;
• location, of the program, environment, and program calendar; and
• language needs of the families to be served.

For example, all programs need clear policies and procedures regarding picking children up on time. Teachers should have specific instructions or procedures to follow if children are brought too early, or are left at the center past closing time. Home-based staff and parents need a procedure to follow if illness interferes with a visit.

The number of children, and consequently the number of staff, also will affect the policies and procedures developed for the Education Component. For example, programs that provide transportation will need clear policies and procedures to ensure that this goes smoothy. Logistics, bus routes, and emergency plans will be necessary.

The location of the program will dictate some policies and procedures. Programs in areas with a long and snowy winter will need a policy on when the center will be closed. Staff and parents need to know how to find out if the center is closed or opening late.

The policies and procedures described in this chapter relate to the administrative responsibilities of the Education Coordinator. However, there are other policies the program develops that affect the Education Component. These-include the following:

• personnel policies;.
• health policies (such as dealing with a child who be comes ill);
• food service policies (including mealtime philosophy in Head Start and staff attitudes toward mealtimes); and
• transportation policies (including when and how children are greeted when they arrive at the center and policies referring to home visitors who may be transporting parents and/or children).

HOW PROCEDURES ARE DEVELOPED

Procedures are meant to be useful to those who implement them. They should be simply written and clearly stated. A step-by-step illustration follows.

STEP ONE
Decide the activities for which procedures are needed.

Providing substitute teachers.

STEP TWO
Decide who will write and approve the procedure.

The Education Coordinator will work with the staff and the Director to develop procedures for maintaining a roster of substitute teachers and a system for contacting them.

STEP THREE
Write the procedure. Be as specific as possible.

Procedures for substitutes could include the following.

• Funds will be allocated to pay substitutes the minimum wage.
• All parents will receive a letter at enrollment inviting them to apply to be a substitute.
• Parents will be placed on the substitute roster after attending a training workshop co-sponsored by the Education and Parent Involvement Components.
• Other substitutes will be identified through senior volunteer and employment programs, advertising in the community, and contacting the student employment office at the college. These candidates also will attend training.
• Staff will notify their supervisor by 7:30 a.m. that they are ill and cannot come to work. The supervisor will contact the substitute.
• When a teacher is absent, the assistant will take his/her place. The substitute will then serve as an assistant.
• When an assistant is absent, the substitute will take his/her place.
• Procedures will be reviewed and updated each year.

STEP FOUR
State who is responsible for monitoring the procedure.

Education Coordinator.

STEP FIVE
Identify and develop any forms needed to implement this procedure.

The Director will modify job application forms to include information about when the substitute is available to work.

STEP SIX
Check the procedure against appropriate Head Start policies.
 

STEP SEVEN
Share the rough draft of the procedures with appropriate persons.

STEP EIGHT
Revise the procedure as necessary.

STEP NINE
Include the procedures in a written manual that is
distributed to all staff, parents, and volunteers and is periodically reviewed and updated.

STEP TEN
Complete the procedures manual by including all of the following information for each procedure listed: 

• who is responsible for carrying out the procedure;
• who is responsible for overseeing the, procedure;
• all forms and instructions needed to carry out the procedure;
• steps to take if the procedure does not work; and,
• documentation required and disciplinary action to be taken if procedure is not followed.

WHAT TO DO IF A PROCEDURE
DOESN'T WORK

Sometimes a procedure doesn't work-the staff or parents are not following the procedure or are constantly asking questions about it.

There may be several reasons why a specific procedure isn't working.

• It was developed without the input of staff and parents.
• It isn't specific enough; it doesn't tell staff how to handle a specific situation.
• It is so specific that it is cumbersome and time consuming and no one follows it because there isn't enough time.
• It doesn't meet the needs of the program.
• The training was inadequate or not provided at all.

When this occurs, the procedures should be reviewed with input from parents and staff, and in some cases, with the Director and other coordinators. Even when the procedures seem to be working, it is a good idea to review them periodically and make additions and changes as needed. Procedures are meant to be helpful; if they are not helping to implement the Education Component Plan, they are to be revised.

ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR
SPECIAL SITUATIONS

It may be necessary to establish specific procedures to deal with special situations. Such procedures should be developed with the Director and other component coordinators. Below are some examples of these situations, with suggestions for procedures that can be adapted to meet individual program needs based on state regulations and local program requirements.

CHILD ABUSE

A teacher suspects that a child in the class has been abused.

• Find out the local legal requirements for reporting suspected child abuse.
• Identify to whom a staff member should report suspected child abuse.
• Specify how, when, and by whom the local authorities are to be contacted.

CHILD CUSTODY PROBLEMS

A noncustodial parent comes to the center to pick up the child. The child's records specifically state that the noncustodial parent is not to pick up the child at school.

• Separate the child from the parent while dealing with the situation.
• Review written records to see if the child can be released to the parent. If yes, do so.
• If the custodial parent has not provided written permission for the child's release, inform the non custodial parent that you cannot release the child.
• Develop a procedure to handle the situation if the parent becomes irate or violent (e.g., inform staff that they should try to placate the parent verbally, but if the child is forcibly taken, to call the police and the custodial parent).
• Inform parents of these procedures. They need to know that the staff will do its best to handle these situations, but that if they suspect a problem, they should notify the center ahead of time.
• Try to give the staff words to use to calm a child who is caught in the middle of such an-incident (e.g., "We're here to make sure you are safe." "Your parent wants to be with you; he/she loves you."). Try to be soothing and nonjudgmental.

CHILD NOT PICKED UP

At closing time, a child is left at the center, or the bus driver finds no one there when the child is driven home.

• Determine who will handle these problems when they occur (e.g., staff in the center or administrative staff members on call for special problems).