Federal Register. Head Start Program. Start Preamble. AGENCY: Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This rule will ensure the neediest children and families in our country benefit from Head Start services first. DATES: This final rule becomes effective March 1. ![]() Head Start Facts and Impacts. The Head Start Trauma Smart program integrates training for program. Politics World Business Tech Health Motto Entertainment Science Newsfeed Living Sports History The TIME Vault. Head Start graduates performed. Audit (A-09-11-01003) 06-13-2012 First A.M.E. Child Development Center's Head Start Program Governance Was Not Fully in Accordance With Federal Requirements Executive Summary. Find a Head Start Program; How To Apply. History of Head Start. Long-Term Effects of Head Start on Low-Income Children. Long-term effects of Head Start can be identi. The National Head Start Association. Forty years after the first association was formed to defend Head Start in. ![]() ![]() Start Further Info. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Rathgeb, Office of Head Start, 2. Deaf and hearing impaired individuals may call the Federal Dual Party Relay Service at 1- 8. End Further Info. End Preamble. Start Supplemental Information. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Program Purpose The national Head Start program funds local organizations to provide comprehensive school readiness services to preschool- age children from low- income families. These services enhance children's social and cognitive development, through health, educational, nutritional and other social services. These services also are designed to respond to children's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritages. Many Head Start programs also provide Early Head Start, which serves infants, toddlers, and pregnant women whose families have incomes below the Federal poverty level. Background We published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on March 1. Head Start services first. Head Start Impact Study First Year Findings were released in June.Head Start History RidgewoodPR. These changes clarify Head Start's eligibility procedures and enrollment requirements, and reinforce Head Start's overall mission to support low- income families and early learning. We believe this final rule, which is published under the authority granted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Head Start Act (Act) . General Comments and the Final Rule We received comments in general about this rule. Below, we summarized the comments and responded to them accordingly. Comment: Many commenters supported the notice of proposed rulemaking. They believe the rule strengthens Head Start programs and program accountability. Some programs currently verify eligibility in a similar manner to what we proposed. In addition, a national organization asked us to consider five guiding principles—accountability, efficiency, clarity, do no harm, and flexibility. Response: We appreciate the positive comments, and we believe we have met the five guiding principles. In this final rule, we include provisions that improve Federal oversight and ensure accountability for purposes consistent with the Act. We make the process programs must use to determine eligibility more efficient and clear so there is less room for programs to err. The “do no harm” principle derives from medical ethics. It reminds health care providers to consider the possible harm that any intervention might do. We carefully considered any possible harm that this regulation might do. Finally, we are less prescriptive so as to Start Printed Page 7. Comment: Some respondents believed the rule is unnecessary and overreaching. Others suggested that it did not go far enough to effectively ensure families with incomes below the poverty level are served first. One commenter thought the measures seemed excessive and contrary to current trends in other Federal programs that serve similar populations. Other commenters were concerned the regulation will impose time and cost burdens on programs. Response: We believe this rule does not overreach; but is rather necessary to support Head Start's overall mission. Furthermore, other Federal programs that serve similar populations have more rigorous and exhaustive regulatory requirements than what we proposed here. Moreover, we have struck the appropriate balance between reasonable cost burden and effective oversight. In fact, some Head Start programs currently conduct processes similar to what we require here with existing staff and resources. For example, programs currently collect and retain documents they use to determine family eligibility. Programs also already contact third parties to verify family eligibility. Comment: Some respondents believed the rule will reduce enrollment, particularly for Latino and dual language learner children. Others stated the provisions for programs to document and certify eligibility are too restrictive. A commenter stated that if we required families to provide documents that are not always readily available, we may create an environment where the neediest families may not receive services. Response: We believe the rule establishes reasonable expectations for families without causing unnecessary burdens. For example, if a family cannot prove income or homelessness, the family can declare its eligibility in writing. If so, we require program staffs to make reasonable efforts to verify the family's eligibility. In addition to verifying eligibility, staffs must also create eligibility determination records for each participant. We also require programs to train and to monitor staffs who make eligibility decisions. We believe these requirements are enough to ensure staffs only enroll eligible children. We removed requirements for staffs to certify that they have made reasonable efforts to verify information. Comment: A few commenters asked us to reference Migrant or Seasonal Head Start each time we refer to Head Start and Early Head Start programs and to use the term party rather than the term entity throughout the rule when we refer to third parties. Response: Unless otherwise specified, when we mention Head Start, we mean Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant or Seasonal Head Start. We use the word party, when appropriate. Comment: Commenters asked us to clarify what enrolled child means and how programs should report end of the month enrollment. Other commenters suggested that we include all eligibility requirements from Head Start guidance materials in this regulation. Response: We define enrolled and we believe the definition clarifies how programs report end of the month enrollment. We also redefined enrollment, in an effort to be consistent with the definition used for reporting. We did not include eligibility requirements from Head Start guidance materials; because once this regulation becomes final, it will supersede all other previously issued guidance. The definitions for enrolled and enrollment in this regulation are consistent with current guidance and practice. Comment: Some commenters were concerned about: (1) Linking to the service area in which a family lives, rather than where a parent works; (2) questions about disability determinations related to enrollment; (3) setting priorities for enrollment and selection including over- income requirements; (4) attendance regulations at . Response: We did not make any changes based on these concerns because they are outside the scope of this regulation. This regulation is narrow in scope. It does not address recruitment, selection, enrollment and attendance, which are addresses in other sections of 4. CFR 1. 30. 5. Comment: Respondents asked whether this regulation, when it becomes effective, will apply to families on Head Start waiting lists. Response: Programs must determine each wait listed families' eligibility, according to this regulation when it becomes effective, before the family is enrolled. Comment: Respondents suggested that we allow a phase- in period so programs can receive technical support; issue a national Head Start application and standardized forms to minimize varying interpretations; and create a toll- free technical assistance hotline. Response: We do not believe an additional phase- in period is necessary. We provided notice with the proposed rule. And, the final rule will not become effective until 3. This should give programs ample time to adjust their practices. However, we will continue to provide technical support. We also issued a standard checklist to help programs navigate the verification process. We would rather allow programs to develop applications appropriate for their communities and services, provided they meet Head Start requirements. Section- by- Section Discussion and the Final Rule We received comments about changes we proposed to specific sections in the regulation. Below, we identified each section, summarized the comments, and responded to them accordingly. Section 1. 30. 5. Definitions We show how this entire section will look below. We removed paragraph designations and we added new definitions for: accepted, enrolled, foster care, homeless children, Migrant or Seasonal Head Start Program, participant, relevant time period, and verify. We also revised these current definitions: enrollment, family, and Head Start eligible. We believe our efforts here make the regulation easier to understand. Comment: One commenter suggested that we clarify who is authorized to apply for Head Start Services on behalf of a child. Response: We redefined family for this purpose. Any family member may apply for Head Start services on a child's behalf. Comment: Commenters suggested we define family, parent, and guardian for the purposes of determining income. Response: As stated above, we redefined family to clarify who could apply for Head Start services. The revised definition also clarifies for programs whose income to consider when they determine whether a pregnant woman or a child is eligible for services. For example, in the case of a pregnant woman, the definition requires programs to consider income from those who financially support the woman. In the case of a child, the definition requires programs to consider income from the child's family. We define family, for a child, to mean all persons that live with child, who are financially supported by the child's parents or guardians and who are related to the child by blood marriage or adoption, or the child's authorized caregiver or Start Printed Page 7. We did not define parent because the term has no special meaning for Head Start purposes. Moreover, we did not define guardian because we believe our revised definition for family is broad enough to include various situations.
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