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Los Angeles County Office of Education

ERSEA MANUAL ELIGIBILITY, RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, ENROLLMENT, AND

ATTENDANCE

2016-17

Head Start-State Preschool Division

Table of Contents

Developing the ERSEA System.......................................................................................... 1

Key Points to Remember................................................................................................. 1

Selection Criteria ............................................................................................................. 2

Contract Exhibit N ....................................................................................................... 4

Tools for Setting Up the Program Year .......................................................................... 6

ERSEA Plan ................................................................................................................ 6

Schedule I (Agency Classroom and Slot Information) .............................................. 14

ChildPlus ................................................................................................................... 14

Program Schedule ...................................................................................................... 15

LACOE ERSEA System Flowchart .............................................................................. 15

The Enrollment Process .................................................................................................... 17

Recruitment ....................................................................................................................... 23

Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 23

Requirements ................................................................................................................. 24

Recruitment of Eligible Populations .......................................................................... 24

LACOE Support ........................................................................................................ 25

Building an Interest List ............................................................................................ 26

Delegate Agency’s Recruitment Area ....................................................................... 28

Recruitment Area Verification .................................................................................. 28

ChildPlus Record Keeping and Ongoing Monitoring ............................................... 31

Eligibility .......................................................................................................................... 33

Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 33

Requirements ................................................................................................................. 35

Determining Eligibility .............................................................................................. 35

Eligibility Interview ................................................................................................... 35

Age Eligibility ........................................................................................................... 39

Categorical Eligibility................................................................................................ 40

Income Eligibility ...................................................................................................... 44

Income Guidelines ..................................................................................................... 52

130% Federal Poverty Guidelines Income Thresholds ............................................. 53

15% Thresholds over State Income Guidelines ......................................................... 53

Children with Disabilities .......................................................................................... 54

Returning Children .................................................................................................... 55

Early Head Start ......................................................................................................... 56

Enrolling Children when Income Exceeds FPL ........................................................ 57

Full-Day Eligibility.................................................................................................... 58

Address Verification .................................................................................................. 59


Selection ............................................................................................................................ 61

Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 61

Requirements ................................................................................................................. 62

Determining Priority .................................................................................................. 62

Assigning Points ........................................................................................................ 63

Selecting Applicants .................................................................................................. 63


Enrollment......................................................................................................................... 67

Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 67

Requirements ................................................................................................................. 68

Enrollment Date/Start Date/Entry Date ..................................................................... 69

Delay in Start Date .................................................................................................... 69

Program Options ........................................................................................................ 70

Program Variations .................................................................................................... 71

Vacancy ..................................................................................................................... 71

Transfers .................................................................................................................... 73

Policy on Fee for Service ........................................................................................... 74

ERSEA Files for All Participants .............................................................................. 74


Attendance ........................................................................................................................ 81

Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 81

Requirements ................................................................................................................. 81

Absences .................................................................................................................... 81

Modified Attendance ................................................................................................. 84

Terminated Children .................................................................................................. 86

Average Daily Attendance ......................................................................................... 86

Home Visits ............................................................................................................... 87

Make-Up Days ........................................................................................................... 88


GIM Grantee Instructional Memo


GIM-1305_(1)v5

Procedure Title Elibibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and

Attendance (ERSEA)

Effective Date July 1, 2014

Revised: July 1, 2016

Primary Regulation 45 CFR 1305

Other Regulation(s)

Head Start Act

Head Start Performance Standards 45 CFR 1306.3 (a)-(e), (i),

(l), & (o); 1306.31; 1306.32 (a)-(b)(6), (c)(1) & (2), & (d)(1)

& (3); 1306.33 (a) (1)-(3) & (5); 1306.34 (a)(1)-(4), (b), &

(c); 1306.35 (1) & (2); 1306.36; and 1306.37

Head Start Contract

Attachment(s) ERSEA Manual

Introduction

The 2016-2017 program year is the third year of the Los Angeles County Office of

Education’s (LACOE) five year grant with the Office of Head Start (OHS). LACOE

contracts with private non-profit organizations and school districts for the delivery of Early

Head Start, Head Start, California State Preschool Program (CSPP), and General Child

Care and Development Center-Based Program (CCTR) services to children and families.

Guided by four pillars of responsibility: 1) Planning; 2) Resource Development and

Collaboration; 3) Ongoing Monitoring and Accountability; and 4) Training and Technical

Assistance, LACOE in collaboration with its delegate agencies (DA) ensures every funded

slot is filled with an eligible child and that all children and families receive quality services.

LACOE monitors to ensure that services are consistent with the federal, state, and local

regulations. LACOE’s Head Start-State Preschool Division is charged with the

responsibility that all DAs receive the support needed to achieve full enrollment and to

provide quality services to children and families in an efficient and effective manner.

Background

The Grantee created the Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance

(ERSEA) Manual to provide instructions for implementing program requirements. The

manual:

clarifies regulations, definitions, and provides LACOE’s mandates to improve

consistency and continuity for all its programs; and

provides instructions for aligning ChildPlus with ERSEA in order to sustain an on-

going monitoring, and recordkeeping, and reporting systems.

Implementation and Mandates

DAs must adhere to all applicable state, federal, and local mandates, including the

instructions provided in this GIM and its attachment.

Resources

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Los Angeles County Office of Education Page | 1


Developing the ERSEA System

Key Points to Remember

The ERSEA system stems from information gathered in the community

assessment.

The ERSEA system must be aligned with the following:

o Philosophy, Vision, and Mission

o Goals and Objectives

o Key findings from community assessment

The implementation plans are described in each DA’s funding application:

o Schedule I – Classroom and Slot Information

o Schedule K – Program Operation Calendars

o GABI Program Schedule

Each DA must determine priorities by allocating points aligned with local criteria

identified by LACOE based on the information gathered in the community

assessment.

Regulation 1304.50(d)(1)(vii): Policy Councils and Policy Committees must

work in partnership with key management staff and the governing body to

develop, review, and approve or disapprove the criteria for defining recruitment,

selection, and enrollment priorities, in accordance with the requirements of 45

CFR 1305.

Due to changing demographics and community needs, targeted populations may

vary from year to year, depending on the dynamics of the community in which the

program or site is located. As a result, recruitment activities and strategies must

also change to ensure the DA continues to recruit families most in need of

services.


Page | 2 Los Angeles County Office of Education


Selection Criteria

Based on data from the community assessment, LACOE identifies selection criteria that

prioritize services to families most in need. DAs must assign points to the selection

criteria categories that are submitted and approved with the DAs’ funding application.

The selection criteria are used to rank applicants in order to identify those with the

greatest need for services. The list below is in alphabetical order, not by order of priority:

Age: Children enrolled in the program shall meet standard age criteria for Early

Head Start or Head Start.

o DAs experiencing challenges enrolling 4-year-olds because of programs

like transitional kindergarten, or other preschool programs targeting 4-

year-olds, must prioritize 3-year-olds.

Children in protective services: The program will actively seek out and recruit

children in the county’s protective services caseload, including those remaining in

the home under supervision and those placed in foster homes. Since stability of

placement can be an issue, DAs will pay particular attention to retention in Head

Start when a child moves from one form of placement to another in order to

maintain continuity for the child. Outreach to the natural or foster parents is an

important element of care for children in protective services and will include

access to the full range of Head Start services for parents.

Children transitioning from Early Head Start to Head Start: Program guidelines

for transition will be observed for children moving from Early Head Start to Head

Start to ensure that parents understand the new program and are prepared to

support the child in the new learning environment.

Children with a suspected disability: Children with suspected disabilities will be a

priority in outreach so that the process can be started to assess their condition and

needs and initiate the Individual Family Service Plan/Individualized Education

Program (IFSP/IEP) process to ensure timely completion.

Children with IFSP/IEP: Children with identified and documented disabilities of

all types are a high priority for enrollment.

Children with Response to Intervention (RTI)/Recognition and Response Plans:

Children participating in RTI programs also will be given priority for enrollment

to ensure the family and child have the appropriate support should the child need

to be referred for an IEP.




Dual language learners: Children whose home language is other than English can

benefit from Head Start as they begin to acquire English before entering the K-12

school system.

Five-year-olds may be enrolled when kindergarten is not available, although this

is not a common situation in Los Angeles County. Such children would need to

be income-eligible.

Foster children: Children in protective service caseload have a mandatory priority

for enrollment.

Homeless families: Children in homeless families have a mandatory priority for

enrollment.

Incarcerated Parent: Parent that is incarcerated and the program is able to provide

support services to the child and family.

Income-eligible children: Children in families below the poverty level have a

mandatory priority for enrollment.

Military families: Children in military families have a mandatory priority for

enrollment.

Mothers suffering from postpartum depression: Mothers who have given birth

within six months and are suffering from postpartum depression.

Parent(s) employed or in job training: Children in families with parent(s) who are

employed or in job training can benefit from availability of child care in Head

Start programs. Such children also need to be income-eligible.

Parents with less than a high school diploma: Children in families with parent(s)

who have less than a high school diploma can benefit from availability of child

care in Head Start programs, allowing parents to continue their education. Such

children also need to be income-eligible.

Pregnant teens and parenting teens: Children with teenage parents have a

mandatory priority for enrollment.

Public assistance (Supplemental Security Income [SSI] and Temporary Assistance

for Needy Families [ANF]): Children in families receiving public assistance have

a mandatory priority for enrollment.

Referred child from another agency: Children who were referred to the Head Start

program by an outside agency (i.e., Department of Children and Family Services

[DCFS], Department of Public Social Service [DPSS], Los Angeles Unified

School District Transitional Kindergarten [LAUSD TK], LAUP).




Returning child: Returning to the program allows children to build on initial

experience and to strengthen school readiness, creating a priority for enrollment.

Such children also need to be income eligible.

Single parent: Children in families with only one parent who can benefit from

Early Head Start and Head Start programs.

Note:

If there is a special circumstance that does not fit within the set of established eligibility

criteria, adjustment points are added in the Adjustment field. Only adjustment points

approved in Exhibit N of the contract may be used.

Contract Exhibit N

The following is a sample of Exhibit N, which is included in the LACOE contract and

identifies the approved selection criteria and points each agency uses to prioritize

applications.

Selection Criteria Item in CP Drop Down

Agency

Points Notes

Age Newborn to less than 6 months

6 months to 11 months

1 year to 1.11 years

2 years to 2.5 years

2.6 years to 2.11 years

3 years

4 years

5 years (when kindergarten is

not available)

Categorical

Homeless (including

transitional homeless families)

Foster Care

Child in Protective

Services? Yes

Disability Status Child with IEP

Child with IFSP

Response to Intervention/

Recognition and Response

Plan

Suspected Disability

Dual Language Learner? Yes

Employment Status Both parents employed

Both parents in school or job-

training program




Selection Criteria Item in CP Drop Down

Agency

Points Notes

One parent employed

One parent in school or job

training program

Incarcerated Parent Mother

Father

Income Eligible

Public Assistance (TANF or

SSI)

Military Family

Parent(s) less than high

school education

One parent

Both parents

Pregnant Teen

Parenting Teen

Postpartum Depression Yes

Returning Child

Single Parent

Referred Child from

Another Agency Yes

Transitioning Children

From Early Head Start to Head

Start

From other Head Start program

Approved Adjustment Factors

Note:

If changes are needed to the Selection Criteria during a given program year, the changes

must be made through the Request for Advanced Approval/Budget Adjustment Request

(RAA/BAR) process.




Tools for Setting Up the Program Year

ERSEA Plan

Every DA is required to develop a plan that outlines the staff responsibilities and

procedures in implementing and maintaining compliance with the system of eligibility,

recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance of children. This document ensures

children are accepted and enrolled into the program according to the selection criteria that

identify and determine which families have the greatest need for services. The ERSEA

plan must include at a minimum all the following components:

Introduction/Overview

The introduction/overview section must:

1. Describe the agency, program options and program variations and identify the

total number of slots.

2. Describe how the agency’s ERSEA procedures align with LACOE’s ERSEA

Manual.

3. Provide a brief description of how the Policy Committee (PC) and Board are

involved in the development and approval of the ERSEA Plan.

Recruitment

The recruitment section must:

1. Summarize briefly the results of the DA’s review and analysis of data from the

community assessment, enrollment, outcomes of the prior year recruitment

activities, and any other supplemental data the DA used to develop the

recruitment strategies and target communities for the new program year. Include:

a. Challenges and successes faced in the last program year

b. New partnerships that can be sustained and/or developed to meet the

community’s needs

c. The effectiveness of the recruitment strategies and tools

2. Identify the DA’s recruitment area and, if applicable, the specific areas the DA

will target for recruitment (if the DA plans to recruit children from its entire

service area, then target recruitment areas need not be identified). Include:

a. Major activities and timelines for conducting recruitment




b. The month the agency begins to build an interest list for the new program

year

c. The date the current year waitlist will be rolled over in ChildPlus and

incorporated into the new program year’s list

d. The process for requesting a new application for families that did not get

enrolled in the current year and are interested in applying for the new

program year

e. How the DA incorporates LACOE assistance/recruitment efforts to

support its own efforts

f. How the DA ensures children are recruited in the assigned recruitment

area (e.g., the use of Facility Site Locator)

g. Outreach strategies for recruiting:

i. Categorically eligible families (foster care children and homeless

families)

ii. Families receiving public assistance (TANF or SSI)

iii. Children with disabilities

iv. Other eligible families

3. Describe the process for documenting and contacting families who have

expressed interest in the program but have not yet applied.

4. Describe the process for developing and maintaining an interest list (e.g., a list of

families who have expressed interest but not yet applied). Include:

a. the period (between January and March) when the DA begins to build the

interest list

b. the process for contacting families

c. staff responsible for following up

d. ongoing recruitment efforts

5. Describe the roles and responsibilities of all staff members in recruitment and

outreach activities.

6. Describe how the DA monitors and tracks recruitment activities.

7. Describe how the DA works with established and/or new community partners

(e.g., community providers, other grantees, regional centers, and local education

agencies [LEAs]) during recruitment.

8. Describe how the DA engages parents in recruitment activities.

9. Describe the policy and process for using ChildPlus to manage and document

recruitment efforts.




10. Describe the process for communicating during the recruitment period with

families who are eligible to return for another year of services and for ensuring

the families complete page 1 of the “Application for Services” and both parent

and staff sign on the bottom of page 2.

Eligibility

To address how the DA determines eligibility, the DA must:

1. Identify staff who will be responsible to determine eligibility for families who express

interest in enrolling in the program.

2. Describe the eligibility interview process for all interested families.

a. How will you conduct in-person interviews?

b. If your agency chooses to allow telephone interviews, describe the parameters.

Include:

i. How the supervisor will review each case to approve the telephone

interview

ii. How the DA will secure eligibility documentation prior to the interview

iii. How the original documents will be secured and reviewed and when the

parent will sign the application

3. Specify the age eligibility requirements for the Head Start and Early Head Start

program (as applicable).

4. Identify the documents the DA deems acceptable to verify age.

a. Describe the process for accommodating categorically eligible families when age

documentation is not readily available, including providing resources and third-

party verification.

b. Describe how documents will be secured within a reasonable time frame, not to

exceed 10 days.

5. Identify the documents the DA deems acceptable to verify income.




6. Describe how the DA ensures that income is calculated using the criteria stipulated in

LACOE’s ERSEA Manual.

Note(s):

Families whose “current situation” may make them eligible for consideration services

may include those whose financial situation—loss of employment or other changes in

financial status--provided the DA establishes appropriate safeguards to adhere to

requirements. It is up to each DA to decide if “current situation” will be used as a

criterion to determine eligibility. Those proposing to use this criterion for eligibility must

define “current situation” and the policy and process with:

a. The historical documentation that must be presented to consider a family’s

eligibility.

b. The type and source of documentation required for families, including proof

of prior 12 months of income.

c. The number of months that a family’s “current situation” must exist in order

to be considered (e.g., a family whose circumstances changed within the last

six months may be a more valid approach than one whose circumstances

occurred within the last month). Include all applicable criteria used to rank

these families against other applicants and how the process will be

implemented.

d. Proof that the process for moving families into the selection category has

supervisory approval.

7. Describe the process for handling applications of participants whose family income

exceeds the federal poverty guidelines:

a. How does staff explain eligibility determination to an over-income family,

including the opportunity to remain on the waitlist with the understanding that

children with the greatest need (points) will be offered a slot prior to an over-

income applicant

b. How families who are not eligible for Head Start-Early Head Start are referred

to other early childhood programs, such as LAUP, R&R agencies, and others

c. Who verifies the eligibility of over-income families and who is responsible for

entering the “abandoned” date or “waitlist” date in ChildPlus, depending on

parent choice

8. Identify the type of documentation the DA deems acceptable for recruitment area

verification (e.g., proof of address), such as utility bills, rental agreement, and more.

9. Describe the DA’s process for ensuring proper approval is secured for interagency

and/or grantee-to-grantee requests, prior to enrollment.




10. Identify the documents the DA deems acceptable to verify categorical eligibility.

11. Describe the process for accommodating categorically eligible families when age

documentation is not readily available, including providing resources and third-party

verification. Include:

a. How documents will be secured within a reasonable time frame, not to exceed

10 days

12. Identify the staff responsible for updating participants’ records in ChildPlus to

include all the information from page 2 of the Application for Services.

13. Identify who is responsible for entering eligibility priority points in ChildPlus.

14. Describe the procedures to ensure that the Head Start Eligibility Verification (HSEV)

form is printed from ChildPlus and signed, verifying that eligibility was determined

on the date the face-to-face interview was conducted.

15. Identify the staff authorized to sign and date the HSEV form.

16. Describe the DA’s process for communicating with families on the waitlist.

For Returning Children:

1. Describe its policies and procedures for enrolling categorically and income-eligible

returning children.

2. Describe how the DA will re-rank returning children in ChildPlus, with:

a. Timeline for roll-over process in ChildPlus

b. Documentation on the “application notes” area of the Year 2 application of

any updates or changes

3. Describe the DA’s policies and procedures for over-income returning children with

IEP/IFSP and without IEP/IFSP.

Ongoing Monitoring:

1. Describe the policy and process for monitoring eligibility.

2. Identify staff and responsibilities for monitoring eligibility.

3. Describe the process followed if the determination of eligibility is incorrect.

a. If eligibility was determined incorrectly, identify who is responsible to make

corrections and update the information in ChildPlus




Selection

To address how the DA assigns ranking points based on the LACOE-mandated selection

criteria, the DA must:

1. Identify and define the DA’s additional selection criteria based on information from

the DA’s refinement of community assessment data. Note: Failure to provide sufficient

documentation prior to implementation will result in non-approval of the additional

criteria.

2. Identify criteria for prioritizing children who are transitioning from Early Head Start to

Head Start. Note: This is required even if the DA does not operate an Early Head Start

program. All DAs are required to work with Early Head Start providers in their

recruitment areas to coordinate transitions to Head Start.

3. Describe how the DA ensures that children with the highest ranking (i.e., greatest need

for services) are identified and selected from the Waitlist and accepted first, including

policies and process for:

a. Selecting families for a full-day program, if applicable

b. Ensuring that 10 percent of those selected are children with disabilities

c. Ensuring foster children and homeless families are given priority

d. Selecting between children who have the same number of ranking points

e. Selecting over-income children, including those who surpass state income

guidelines, and the process to be followed to secure LACOE approval for

enrolling children

f. Selecting and enrolling children who are within the 100-130 percent income

guidelines and process to be followed

g. Updating application status in ChildPlus

h. Assigning children to a caseload/classroom in ChildPlus, include the criteria

and process used to determine classroom assignment (e.g., AM/PM sessions,

site preference)

4. Identify the staff roles and responsibilities in the selection process.

5. Describe, if operating or contracted for a Family Child Care Option, how families are

selected based on the need for child care services with extended hours of care beyond

six hours a day and the monitoring of the family child care providers.




Enrollment

To address the DA’s enrollment policies and process, the DA must:

1. Describe who will enter the Enrolled Date in ChildPlus for all applicants who attend a

class or who receive a home visit or direct service.

2. Describe how the agency incorporates ChildPlus throughout the enrollment process and

uses the system to ensure:

a. The DA accepts all funded slots 30 days prior to start date(s).

b. Full enrollment is met on the start date.

c. Vacancies are filled within 30 calendar days.

d. Full enrollment is maintained throughout the program year.

3. Describe the DA’s approach to filling vacancies when 60 calendar days or less remain

in the program year.

4. Describe how the DA works to comply with the 10 percent disabilities mandate by

January 31.

5. Identify staff roles and responsibilities in the enrollment process. Include:

a. Who will be entering the enrolled date in ChildPlus for all children who attended

class or who received a home visit or direct service.

b. Who will be entering the abandoned date on the fourth day for children whose

family has failed to respond to the DA’s attempts to communicate.

6. Indicate how often the status of enrollment report is provided to the PC and Board.

Attendance

The DA’s policies and processes for monitoring attendance must:

1. Describe who will enter attendance for all children, on a daily basis and/or at a

minimum weekly.

2. Describe how attendance is tracked, monitored, and verified for accuracy. Include:

a. Staff responsible for conducting Tier I monitoring

b. Staff who submit the analysis of absenteeism report to LACOE when Average

Daily Attendance falls below 85 percent

c. How often Average Daily Attendance is reported to the PC and Board




d. How the DA monitors that home visits are being conducted and ensures that

the DA is on track to provide the family with the required number of home

visits and socializations

3. Describe how excused and unexcused absences are documented. Include:

a. Staff responsible for following up on a daily basis when a child is absent and

staff responsible for entering follow-up notes in ChildPlus

b. Steps the DA takes when staff are not able to make contact with families

(through home visits or emergency contacts) within three days

c. Support services provided to families who have consecutive absences

d. Staff responsible for dropping a participant on the fourth day when the DA

has been unsuccessful in making contact

e. The process followed when a drop is based on excessive unexcused absences

4. Describe how the agency identifies children who are on a modified attendance

schedule

5. Describe how the DA incorporates ChildPlus throughout the attendance process.

6. Identify staff roles and responsibilities in the attendance process.

7. Describe the DA’s policy on:

a. Late pick-ups and late arrivals

b. Requests from families for extended leave/vacation

Policy on Fees

Describe the DA’s policy on fees, with a description of how the DA ensures families

currently enrolled in Head Start and/or Early Head Start are not to be charged for

services.

Contingency Procedures

Contingency procedures are the steps to be taken if there is a delay in the start date or

other unanticipated event for enrolled children. The procedures should specify staff

responsible and communication efforts with LACOE, agency staff, and families affected.

The procedures must include:

1. The DA’s plan for ensuring children and families receive Head Start and/or Early Head

Start services in the event of a cancellation or unforeseen closure due to an emergency

(e.g., medical, State Licensing mandating a closure, and more).




2. The DA’s strategies for providing ancillary services to children and families in the

event of a delay in start date. Include:

a. What services will be provided to children and families during the delay

b. Timelines for notifying the families and LACOE

c. Processes for ensuring proper approvals of program changes are received prior

to the action

d. How the DA will provide make-up classes when needed

3. The DA’s steps for securing the children and notifying parents in the event of an

emergency.

Schedule I (Agency Classroom and Slot Information)

This document is submitted to LACOE with the funding application. Once the form is

reconciled with the GABI Program Schedule, the Schedule I is used to set up the

classrooms and program options in ChildPlus. The Schedule I provides LACOE with the

following information:

Center name and class numbers at each center

Start and end date for each class

Number of children allocated to each class

Program Options and Program Variation

Total number of funded slots for each funding stream

Note(s):

DAs are required to make decisions that impact the number of classes, slots, and

program options offered prior to enrollment.

DAs must strategically plan location of centers, number of classes, staffing, etc.,

to ensure full enrollment.

Any changes to program options and variations must have prior approval from

LACOE.

For more information, the BAR/RAA process is available on the website at:

http://prekkid.org/agency/fiscal/

ChildPlus

LACOE Head Start-State Preschool has adopted the use of ChildPlus to ensure that the

information collected about program operations is gathered, recorded, and reported in a

standardized form for all DAs.

http://prekkid.org/agency/fiscal/




Program Schedule

The Program Schedule is completed in the OHS Enterprise System by each delegate. It is

used in alignment with the Schedule I to verify that the DA has implemented the

proposed program design in the approved Funding Application.

LACOE ERSEA System Flowchart


Head Start – State Preschool Division

The Enrollment Process

Yes

Recruitment

Form interest list

Verify child is in DA’s assigned service area and secure appropriate approvals as necessary

Enter Application for Services, Page 1 in ChildPlus, identified as “New”

Work with the family to

secure appropriate

documentation:

provide resources

conduct third-party

verifications, if

necessary

follow up and

document efforts

use applicant

statement as a last

resort

Yes

No Enter “Abandoned Date”

in ChildPlus for applicant Family interested?

Did the family have all the necessary

documentation to determine eligibility? No

Remove

barriers to

enrollment

Assign points in ChildPlus to reflect

applicable selection criteria

Proceed to Eligibility

Staff must interview the family and secure eligibility documentation

Staff must interview the family to:

review the eligibility documentation

complete page 2 of the Application for Services

sign and date the Application for Services




Is the family eligible?

Yes

No Staff must:

Explain eligibility

determination to

family

Offer the opportunity

to remain on Waitlist

with the

understanding that

children with the

greatest need (points)

will be offered a slot

prior to over-income

applicants

Refer ineligible

children to other

programs and/or

resources

Enter abandoned date

or Waitlist date,

depending on parent

choice

Staff must:

Print, sign, and date

HSEV form from

ChildPlus

Secure supervisor’s

approval and

signature

Eligibility

Determine eligibility

If at any point, prior to entering the enrolled date in ChildPlus, a family notifies staff

they are no longer interested, enter an abandon date for the applicant

Supervisor agrees with the

eligibility determination? No

Yes

Staff must:

Make corrections

and/or gather

additional

information as

required by your

supervisor

Update applicable

information in

ChildPlus

Determine

eligibility, if

applicable, based

on new

information Proceed to Selection I




Yes

Yes

No

No

Selection I

Next steps taken depend on the purpose and/or status of the DA

Is DA is trying to accept children 30 days prior to the first day of school?

Rank applications and select those that have the greatest number of

points

Select a sufficient number of applications to fill available slots

Enter “Accepted Date” in ChildPlus

Assign applicant to a class or home-based group

Inform family of expected start date

Did applicant attend class or receive a home visit or direct service on the expected start date?

Proceed to Enrollment Contact family on the first day

Document efforts to reach out to the family

After three days has the family responded to the DA’s attempts to communicate?

Enter “Abandoned Date” in

ChildPlus on the fourth day

Yes

Proceed to Selection II


Does the family plan on bringing the applicant to the program?

Yes

Follow up as needed and continue documenting

Family must attend within three days from the date contact is made

Did the applicant attend the program by the agreed-upon date?

No

No

Yes

Proceed to Enrollment

No Enter “Abandoned

Date” in ChildPlus





No

Selection II

DA has either:

Accepted all children to meet full enrollment or

Met full enrollment and is trying to build a Waitlist in order to be able to fill vacancies within 30 days

Rank applications, select those that have the greatest number of

points

Select a sufficient number of applications to fill available slot(s)

Communicate with family(ies) regarding slot(s)

Assign applicant to a class or home-based group

Inform family of expected start date

Select all applications that do not have an accepted date and have completed the process for

determining eligibility, including over-income applicants that would like to be on the Waitlist

Enter “Waitlisted Date” in ChildPlus for each applicant

Has a slot been identified that needs to be filled?

Yes

No Applicant remains on

the Waitlist until a

vacant slot is

identified

Staff periodically

communicate with

families to keep them

interested and ensure

updated contact

information

Yes

Did applicant attend class or receive a home visit or direct service on the expected start date?

Proceed to

Enrollment

No

After three days has the family responded to the DA’s attempts to communicate?

Does the family plan on bringing the applicant to the program?

Yes No

Enter “Abandoned

Date” in ChildPlus

on the fourth day

Did the applicant attend the program by the agreed upon date?

Yes

Enter “Abandoned Date” in ChildPlus Restart

Selection II

Process

Contact family on the first day, and staff must document efforts to reach out to the

family

Follow up as needed and continue documenting

Family must attend within three days of operation from the date contact is

made

Proceed to Enrollment




Attendance

Use ChildPlus to enter attendance daily (weekly at a minimum)

Identify excused/unexcused absences according to DA’s policies

Maintain documentation of absences and drop as applicable

Monitor attendance and document communication with parents regarding absences

Verify accuracy of attendance reports in ChildPlus, print, sign, and submit to LACOE by third calendar

day

The enrolled date is the same as the start

date identified on the Schedule I and K

This is also the date used to track

compliance with the services timelines

Which date is used as the “Enrolled Date” in ChildPlus?

The enrolled date and start date, for an

applicant filling a vacant slot within 30 days

as a result of a drop, is the date the family is

expected to start

This is also the date used to track compliance

with the services timelines

Yes

Is it the beginning of the program year and delegate is filling a slot that has never been filled?

No

Enrollment

Enter “Enrolled Date” in ChildPlus for all who attended class or received a home visit or direct service on or

after the expected start date

In order to achieve

and sustain full

enrollment

Implement a system to track absences and follow up in a timely manner

Implement ongoing recruitment activities to maintain an adequate Waitlist

Communicate often with families on your Waitlist

Remove internal barriers, so that DA can call applicants on a Waitlist to start the very next day



Recruitment

Definitions

Recruitment

Regulation 1305.5(a): Recruitment means the systematic ways in which a program

identifies families whose children are eligible for Head Start services, informs them of

the services available, and encourages them to apply to the program.

Participant (Final Rule Clarification)

A pregnant woman or a child who is enrolled in and receives services from a Head Start,

an Early Head Start, Migrant Seasonal Head Start, or an American Indian Alaskan Native

Head Start Program.

New (ChildPlus term)

This occurs when the family expresses interest in the program. At this time, basic

information is gathered from the family (name, address, contact information). The DA

provides the family with a list of documents needed to determine eligibility. The

information is entered in ChildPlus with a status of “new.” This stage often happens

during recruitment when a DA is building an interest list.

Interest List

The DA recruits families, gathers basic information on the Application for Service page

1, verifies the child is in the DA’s assigned service area, and secures appropriate

approvals if necessary. The applications are used to build an interest list.

Service Area

Regulation 1305.2(r): Service area means the geographic area identified in the approved

grant application. Grantees are designated a service area by OHS. LACOE then assigns a

portion(s) of its area(s) to its DA(s) and child care provider(s) to support families with

services.

Recruitment of Children with Disabilities

Regulation 1308.5(a): The grantee or DA outreach and recruitment activities must

incorporate specific actions to actively locate and recruit children with disabilities.

Recruitment



Recruitment of Categorical Populations

A family is categorically eligible for Head Start if the child is homeless or if the child is

in foster care as defined in 1305.2.

Abandoned

The abandoned status in ChildPlus refers to applications in which staff has been

unsuccessful in making contact with the family after numerous attempts and

parent(s)/guardian(s) are no longer interested in the program prior to enrollment. This

status also is used when applicants do not attend class four consecutive days from the day

the child was expected to start, and there is unsuccessful contact with the family.

Requirements

Recruitment of Eligible Populations

A family is categorically eligible for Head Start if the child is homeless or a child is in

foster care as defined in 1305.2. The following are strategies that support efforts to recruit

eligible children in the community, including children who are categorically eligible and

children with disabilities:

Engage board members, parents, and Policy Committee members, community

partners, and all DA staff in recruitment activities; ongoing recruitment is the

responsibility of the entire organization.

Conduct community outreach through local community newspapers, public

service announcements, and participation in community events such as health

fairs, job fairs, events held at the local elementary schools throughout the year

(such as back-to-school night, open house, fairs, and other community-oriented

events).

Disseminate information to inform the community(ies) served and promote the

DA programs and services by:

o Using LACOE’s fliers and brochures

o Connecting with school district’s “Ed Message” (phone message system)

to inform families about Early Head Start, Head Start, and California State

Preschool Programs

Attend local school district meetings to inform and promote Head Start services.

Be prepared to assist families in completing an application during the recruitment

events.

Continue to foster partnerships and relationships that help the DA create a pool

for recruitment, such as:

Recruitment



o Communicating, on an ongoing basis, with local shelters, community-

based organizations, and local churches that offer services to homeless

families and other categorical populations

o Communicating, on an ongoing basis, with DA disability staff and with

LACOE disability consultants to reach the desired outcomes

o Contacting and/or visiting the following organizations to reach eligible

families and children:

Regional Centers and Easter Seals

Local preschools, public programs, and elementary schools

Public resource and referral agencies

Department of Public Social Services

Department of Children and Family Services

Foster family agencies

Homeless shelters

Transitional housing facilities

LEAs and Part C Partners for identification of children with

disabilities

Note:

LACOE Head Start has determined that families receiving TANF or SSI will be

considered income eligible.

LACOE Support

LACOE develops and implements countywide recruitment strategies that support the

efforts of DAs and child care providers, including identifying and scheduling various

community events throughout Los Angeles County. LACOE strongly supports and

encourages the recruitment of children with disabilities, families who are homeless, and

children in foster care. All community outreach efforts assist the program with

maintaining full enrollment as required by the OHS.

Some of the strategies include:

Producing public service announcements for radio, TV, cable, local newspapers,

and the web

Developing and distributing, during countywide events, informational materials

such as:

o Bookmarks

o Posters/Flyers

o Videos and DVDs

Maintaining a preschool hotline, 1-877-PRE-K-KID

Recruitment



Updating and maintaining a webpage (www.PreKKid.org) with information about

programs and services and the Head Start Agency Referral System (facility site

locator)

Building relationships and sharing information with key countywide agencies,

such as LAUSD TK; Los Angeles Universal Preschool; Los Angeles County

Office of Child Care; Women, Infants, Children (WIC); DCFS; DPSS; county

libraries; homeless organizations; and more

Distributing mass mailers to foster care agencies and CalWORKs' participants

Generating Letters of Partnership with key countywide organizations serving

children from birth to five and pregnant women

Building an Interest List

Each DA maintains an interest list, which must be continuously updated throughout the

program year to ensure children are recruited within the communities it serves. The DA

must maintain an active interest list at all times and is responsible for:

Entering all children in ChildPlus to build an interest list.

Using ChildPlus to ensure the interest list is updated and maintained throughout

the program year.

Using ChildPlus reports to monitor the interest lists.

Developing strategies to connect with families remaining on the interest list

Using the Application for Services page 1 to gather basic information from

families in order to build an interest list.

http://www.prekkid.org/

Recruitment



Recruitment



Delegate Agency’s Recruitment Area

LACOE assigns portions of its service area to DAs based on the countywide community

assessment. All DAs are assigned a recruitment area per LACOE contract and Exhibit C-

1 for the current program year. DAs operating Early Head Start programs are assigned by

ZIP codes and not communities. DAs must ensure that:

Children recruited must reside within the DA’s assigned service area.

At no time may the DA recruit children who reside in another DA’s or grantee’s

service area.

Families residing outside the service area are referred to the appropriate agency or

grantee.

Recruitment Area Verification

The DA is required to verify that the family resides within the DA’s assigned recruitment

area by using the Facility Site Locator (www.prekkid.org) and the DA’s current year

Exhibit C-1. Applicants residing outside of the DA’s service area must be referred to the

appropriate DA or grantee.

A DA may only enroll children residing outside of its service area when prior

approval has been obtained.

In the event that the address entered is not in the DA’s recruitment area, ChildPlus

will display either an “outside of service area” or a “service area verification

unavailable” message.

Interagency Agreement

If a family resides outside the DA’s assigned recruitment area and requests to be enrolled

in a neighboring community served by another DA, an Interagency Enrollment

Agreement must be completed. Families may request services if one or more of the

following criteria apply:

Working in another DA’s or child care provider’s area

Proximity, family must reside within a one-mile radius of the facility

Continuity of care

In training/school

Child care

LACOE encourages DAs to build collaborative relationships with one another to ensure

that DAs process requests within five business days.


Recruitment



In the event a determination is made that the family’s needs are best met outside of the

DA’s designated service area, then the Interagency Agreement process must be followed.

The DA or child care provider must:

Assist parents in understanding the process, policies, procedures, and applicable

regulations governing service areas

Remove any barriers or burdens to the family, and not ask the family to make

contact with the other agency to track their status, as this is the responsibility of

the requesting agency

Inform parents of the estimated time for processing their request and that approval

from the home agency is not guaranteed

Identify a person(s) authorized to process and approve or deny a request

Complete the Interagency Agreement and submit the request to the home agency

Ensure all information on the form is legible and correct

Follow up with home agency to receive decision of approval or denial of

Interagency Agreement request and:

o If the home agency denies request, the applicant may not be entered into

ChildPlus by the requesting agency.

o If the home agency approves request, the signed Interagency Agreement

form is maintained in the child’s file.

Note(s):

Interagency Agreements are approved or denied at the discretion of the home

agency.

o Prior approval must be obtained before the child is enrolled.

o If the agency has obtained approval in year one, another approval is not

required in the subsequent year.

o Once the Interagency Agreement is approved, the requesting agency must

contact its assigned ERSEA monitor to request an override in ChildPlus.

The override will be completed within five business days of the request.

o LACOE does not mandate DAs to approve Interagency Agreements.

Grantee to Grantee Requests

Grantee to Grantee Enrollment Agreement requests are used when a child resides outside

the LACOE service area. A Grantee to Grantee request must be used only as a last resort.

At no time may DAs enroll children that reside in another Grantee’s service area without

prior approval from the home grantee, OHS, and LACOE. Families may request services

if they meet the following approved criteria:

Recruitment



Working

Proximity (1-mile radius) family must reside within a 1 mile radius of the facility

Continuity of Care

In training/School

Child Care

Agency responsibility:

All agencies must refer families to services in their home service area and assist

families in finding the appropriate services.

In the event a determination is made that the family’s needs are best met outside

of their designated grantee service area, then the agency must initiate a Grantee to

Grantee Enrollment Request.

o A grantee to grantee enrollment request is also required for families

residing in unassigned service areas and EHS zip codes.

The delegate agency must complete the Grantee to Grantee Enrollment Request

and secure a written request from the parent explaining the reason why their needs

are best met at your agency.

The delegate agency must ensure all information on the form is legible and

accurate.

The request must be submitted to LACOE Program Development Assistant,

Nadia Barragan of the Planning and Resources Development Unit at

[email protected]. The request will be processed within 10 business

days of receipt. Approval cannot guarantee or when OHS decision will be

finalized.

Assist the parents in understanding policies and procedures and applicable

regulations.

Note(s):

Approval from OHS and LACOE is required prior to entering the family into

ChildPlus.

A copy of OHS/ LACOE’s approval must be kept in the child’s file.

If the agency has obtained approval in year one, another approval is not required

in the subsequent year.

Grantee’s responsibilities:

When a request is received, LACOE will initiate contact with the home grantee

and OHS.

o This may include verifying programs and services that may be available to

meet the needs of the family.

Recruitment



LACOE will make a request if additional information is required.

Once OHS makes a decision, the DA will be notified via email.

All overrides are authorized and processed internally by the assigned ERSEA

Monitors and Data and Records Management team.

ChildPlus Record Keeping and Ongoing Monitoring

Tier 1 Monitoring Reports

The DA is required to use ChildPlus for ongoing monitoring of the DA’s interest list to

ensure the DA is recruiting as many eligible families as possible within its assigned

recruitment area.

The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Enrollment Status Report #2115 to monitor

the DA’s interest list.

The report must be used to monitor the DA’s recruitment efforts.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “New.” The last

page on the report provides the total number of children on the DA’s interest list,

accepted, waitlisted, and enrolled.

Recruitment



The DA is required to use report ChildPlus Service Area Exception #2290 to monitor

Interagency and Grantee to Grantee requests.

Review the report for accuracy and verify the children identified as undetermined

have been entered correctly in ChildPlus and that the address entered is valid

o Addresses appearing as undetermined must be corrected prior to enrolling

the child in order for the report to correctly reflect the home DA or other

grantee

o Support from LACOE is available at [email protected]

Use the report to track the number of Interagency/Grantee to Grantee Enrollment

Agreements being processed.

Ensure proper approvals are maintained in each child’s file identified on the

report.

mailto:[email protected]



Eligibility

Definitions

Head Start Eligible

Head Start eligible is a child who meets the requirements for age and family income or

categorical eligibility.

Age

Head Start

To be eligible for Head Start services, a child must be at least three years old or turn three

years old by the date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community in

which the Head Start program is located and not be older than compulsory school age.

Early Head Start

To be eligible for Early Head Start services, except when the child is transitioning to

Head Start, a child must be an infant or a toddler younger than three years old. A

pregnant woman may be any age.

Income

Income means gross cash income and includes earned income, military income (including

pay and allowances), veterans’ benefits, Social Security benefits, unemployment

compensation, and public assistance benefits. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census

Current Population Report, series P-60-185, “income” is defined as total cash receipts

before taxes from all sources, with the exceptions noted below. Income includes money

wages or salary before deductions; net income from non-farm self-employment; net

income from farm self-employment; regular payments from Social Security or railroad

retirement; payments from unemployment compensation, strike benefits from union

funds, workers' compensation, veterans benefits (with the exception noted below), public

assistance (including TANF, SSI, emergency assistance money payments, and non-

federally funded general assistance or general relief money payments); training stipends;

alimony, child support, and military family allotments or other regular support from an

absent family member or someone not living in the household; private pensions,

government employee pensions (including military retirement pay), and regular insurance

or annuity payments; college or university scholarships, grants, fellowships, and

assistantships; dividends, interest, net rental income, net royalties, and periodic receipts

from estates or trusts; and net gambling or lottery winnings.

Eligibility



Income does not include capital gains; any assets drawn down as withdrawals from a

bank, the sale of property, a house or a car; tax refunds, gifts, loans, lump-sum

inheritances, one-time insurance payments, or compensation for injury. Also excluded are

noncash benefits, such as the employer-paid or union-paid portion of health insurance or

other employee fringe benefits; food or housing received in lieu of wages; the value of

food and fuel produced and consumed on farms; the imputed value of rent from owner-

occupied non-farm or farm housing; and such federal noncash benefit programs as

Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, school lunches, and housing assistance, and certain

disability payments made to disabled children of Vietnam veterans as prescribed by the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Categorical Eligibility

A child or pregnant woman is deemed categorically eligible if they are:

homeless or

in the foster care system

Low-Income Family

Low-income family means a family whose total income before taxes is equal to, or less

than, the income guidelines. This includes families whose only source of income is public

assistance.

Family

Family for a child means all persons living in the same household who are: (1) supported

by the child’s parent(s)’ or guardian(s)’ income; and (2) related to the parent(s) or

guardian(s) by blood, marriage, or adoption; or the child’s authorized caregiver or legally

responsible party. Family, for a pregnant woman, is all the individuals who financially

support the pregnant woman. Consistent with the policy of maximizing the federal

recognition of same-sex spouses/marriages, the term “family” as used to determine the

eligibility of a child to participate in a Head Start or Early Head Start program shall

include a same-sex spouse (ACF- IM- HS-14-03).

Early Head Start Families Only (Information Memorandum ACYF-IM-HS-02-04):

Pregnant Women

For the purposes of determining eligibility, the pregnant woman is counted as two

members of the household. DAs must maintain documentation on the verification of

pregnancy in the applicant’s file.

Unmarried Pregnant Teens

Eligibility



In the case of an unmarried teenage girl living with her parents, her own income

determines her eligibility, not her parents’ income. DAs must maintain documentation on

the verification of pregnancy in the applicant’s file.

Waitlist

Regulation 1305.6 (d) Each Head Start program must develop at the beginning of each

enrollment year and maintain during the year a waiting list that ranks children according

to the program’s selection criteria to ensure that eligible families enter the program as

vacancies occur.

Requirements

Determining Eligibility

DAs will conduct an in-person interview with interested families but in extreme cases

DAs may conduct phone interviews. DAs allowing phone interviews must identify in

their ERSEA plan policies and procedures for:

identifying when phone interviews may be conducted

securing eligibility documentation prior to the interview

reviewing original documents

securing parent signatures

Eligibility Interview

DA staff must conduct an in-person interview with the family in order to secure

eligibility documentation and determine eligibility. If the family brought all the necessary

documents needed to determine eligibility, page 2 of the Application for Services form is

completed with the family and is signed and dated by both the parent and staff member.

Once eligibility has been determined, staff must:

Enter eligibility information in ChildPlus.

Print the HSEV form and verify that the eligibility information aligns with the

documentation in the file.

o The staff and parent signature dates on page 2 of the Application for

Services form and the staff signature date on the Head Start Eligibility

Verification (HSEV) form must all be the same.

Obtain the supervisor’s review and signature on the HSEV form indicating that

he/she agrees with the eligibility determination.

Assign the family ranking points in ChildPlus.

Eligibility



If the family was not able to provide the necessary documentation to determine

eligibility, the DA must work with the family to secure appropriate documentation.

Lack of appropriate documentation must not create barriers to enrollment. The DA must

assist the family in securing appropriate documentation by:

providing resources

conducting third-party verifications

following up on document efforts

using, as a last resort, an Applicant Statement

Note(s):

The DA may choose to allow telephone interviews in extenuating circumstances.

Approval for phone interviews will be reviewed by the DA supervisor on a case-

by-case basis. The DA’s policy and procedures should include the parameters for

conducting phone interviews.

Applicants who remained on the Waitlist for the current program year and were

never enrolled but wish to be considered for the new program year must have

their eligibility re-determined. New documentation will be needed to re-determine

eligibility and the family information will need to be updated as appropriate.

Eligibility



Early Head Start/Head Start Eligibility Verification



Participant’s Name:

Participant’s Date of Birth:

Select either a, b, c, or d below (only one should be selected):

____ a. Categorically Eligible (if family is categorically eligible, select one category

below)

Homeless

Foster Care

____ b. Income Eligible (if family is income eligible, select one category below)

At or below federal poverty guidelines

Public Assistance (if public assistance is marked, select type of

assistance)

o TANF/CalWORKs

o Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

____ c. Over-Income (counted as part of 10% maximum)

____ d. Income between 100 – 130% of federal poverty guidelines (no more than

35% of enrolled children may fall into this category)

What documentation was used to determine eligibility?

Income Tax Form (1040)

Written statements from

employers

W-2

Foster Care Documentation

TANF/CalWORKs

Documentation

SSI Documentation

Paystub or pay envelope

Unemployment

Third party verification

Other (please explain):

______________________

As an employee of the Head Start Program:

I verified during the in person interview that the parent(s) signed and dated the

Application for Services.

I certify that I have made reasonable efforts to verify the above information is true

and correct to the best of my knowledge about the participant’s eligibility.

Staff Signature Date

I certify that I have reviewed eligibility documents and agree with the staff’s

determination of the applicant’s eligibility.

Supervisor Signature Date

Eligibility



Age Eligibility

Age verification records must be maintained in the child’s file.

The birth date may be verified by using a birth certificate and a document issued by a

government agency such as DCFS or DPSS or by using a passport. The DA must ensure

the ERSEA procedures identify what documents the DA deems acceptable. If a family is

unable to provide staff with necessary documents, this should not be a barrier to enrolling

the child. Families must be provided reasonable time to present these documents if they

are not able to present them at the time of eligibility determination.

Head Start

In order to be age eligible, a child must meet the following guidelines:

Child must be four years old by September 1. Child must be three years old by

September 1.

Child may be enrolled after September 1 once the child turns three years old if

placement is appropriate (OHS Policy Clarification I-015).

A child may be served in Head Start for three years if the following circumstances apply:

A low-income child who will turn three by the date used by the local school system to

determine kindergarten eligibility is considered to be a Head Start-eligible child and may

be enrolled as a three-year-old in the local Head Start program. That child would, in most

cases, be served in Head Start for two full years, as a three-year-old and then as a four-

year-old, before entering kindergarten (OHS Policy Clarification I-015). The family’s

income must be re-verified in year three.

Early Head Start

ACYF-IM-HS-02-04: Early Head Start strives to have the greatest impact on

participating children by offering supportive services as early in life as possible. Early

Head Start is intended to serve the family prenatally and through the child’s first three

years of life.

Per regulations, newborn children must be enrolled after they are born. Within two weeks

of birth, Early Head Start programs are required to arrange for health staff to visit the

newborn to ensure the wellbeing of the mother and child (45 CFR 1304.40 (i)(6). DAs

must drop the mother at that time and then enroll the newborn. Though there may not be

a valid birth certificate for the child at that time, the DA may accept a hospital birth

certificate until the official one is available (approximately six weeks).

Eligibility



Categorical Eligibility

All applicants must complete the family residency questionnaire section of the

Application for Services to guide the staff in determining if the family is categorically

eligible.

Applicants determined homeless or in foster care must be identified as Categorically

Eligible on the Application for Services and on the HSEV form. Section D4 of the

Application for Services for categorically eligible families must be left blank.

The Head Start Eligibility Verification form must be printed from ChildPlus.

Eligibility documentation is to be maintained in the file. The family should be

determined either categorically eligible or income eligible, but not both.

Homeless Families

Homeless children are categorically eligible for Head Start. Families in a residential

program (incarcerated programs) are not considered homeless. Head Start uses the

definition in section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as

described below:

Homeless are individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

this includes:

a. Children and youths who share the housing of other persons due to loss of

housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; live in motels, hotels, trailer

parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

live in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are

awaiting foster care placement.

b. Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or

private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping

accommodation for human beings.

c. Children and youths who live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings,

substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.

d. Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they live in circumstances

described in a-c above.

Note(s):

The family residency questionnaire section of the Application for Services

must be completed for every participant.

In addition, notes or other documentation used to determine eligibility for a

homeless family must also be gathered and maintained in the child’s file.

Eligibility



The DA must remove barriers that hinder the process and work with the family

to gather the needed documentation or information. For example, for families

that do not have a mailing address the DA may use the DA address to enter the

child in ChildPlus.

Identifying Homeless Families

Due diligence must be applied to support the DA’s determination that a family is

homeless. A family that is living with relatives may not automatically qualify as a

homeless family. Following are questions to help staff identify homeless families:

Sample questions for determining if residence is “Fixed”:

a. Is this a permanent arrangement or just temporary?

b. Are you looking for another place to live?

c. Where did you live right before this place? Why did you leave?

d. Where would you go if you couldn’t stay where you are?

e. Are you sharing the home equally or are you more like guests in the

home?

Sample questions for determining if residence is “Regular”:

a. Do you stay at the same place every night?

b. How often do you have to move or find a place to stay for the night?

c. How long have you been at that place? How long do you plan to stay?

d. How long did you live at your last place?

Sample questions for determining if residence is “Adequate”:

a. How many people are living in the home? How many

bedrooms/bathrooms does it have?

b. Are you and your children sharing a room? How many people are staying

in one room?

c. Does the home have heat/electricity/running water?

d. What condition is the home in? Do you feel safe?

Additional Considerations

Is the family in the home as an urgent measure to avoid being on the street?

Does the family share housing with another family due to the loss of housing

stemming from financial hardship?

If the family is living in a trailer park, for example, ask questions about the

condition and size of the trailer, the number of people living there, etc.

If the family is living in a place not designated as an ordinary sleeping

accommodation for human beings (such as an office, a car, or an unfinished

basement), then it can be determined substandard.

Eligibility



Develop collaborations and partnerships with other agencies serving homeless

children.

Transitioning Enrolled Homeless Families

The DA must prioritize the enrollment of homeless families moving from one service

area to another. If a LACOE DA receives a referral from another agency or another

grantee indicating the need to transition a homeless family, the receiving LACOE DA

must give priority to the family identified in the referral. The receiving LACOE DA

should collaborate with the former agency where the child is/was enrolled to transition

records and facilitate placement to avoid disruption of services. The DA must prioritize

the enrollment of the homeless family to fill the first vacancy once it occurs.

If a homeless family needs to move out of a particular agency’s service area, it is the

responsibility of the agencies involved to ensure a seamless transition as described in

each agency’s ERSEA plan.

Inform the family about the benefits of allowing the release of documents to the

new agency. If the family agrees, the DA must secure the family’s signature on

the Authorization to Release information form.

Contact the LACOE help desk at [email protected] for assistance in sending

the documents electronically so that the family will not have to transport

paperwork from one agency to the other.

Be sensitive and ensure family’s confidentiality.

Contact the receiving agency.

Foster Care

The DA must prioritize children in the public child welfare system when establishing

selection criteria and selecting children and families for Head Start/Early Head Start

services. While children whose custodial parents have an open case with the child welfare

system but retain physical custody of their children are not categorically eligible for Head

Start or Early Head Start, a program may prioritize these children for enrollment due to

the level of risk and the needs of the family (ACF-IM-HS-10-O4).

Foster children are categorically eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start even if the

family income exceeds the income guidelines (45 CFR 1305.2(l)).

Note(s):

The DA must maintain documentation in the file demonstrating the child is in

foster care as of the date eligibility is determined.

Foster children are considered a family size of “one” and need to be documented

as such in the Application for Services and ChildPlus.

mailto:[email protected]

Eligibility



Documentation can include the following:

o Court order

o Copy of the foster care reimbursement payment

o Foster Family Agency Agreement from an authorized foster care agency

o Other official documentation

Note(s):

All referred DCFS children must have “DCFS Referred” as indicated on page 1 of

the Application for Services form, section A.

All referred DCFS children must have “DCFS Case” box checked off on page 2

of the Application for Services form, section E.

All referred DCFS children must indicate Child Protective Service box in

ChildPlus and enter DCFS in the referred by box in the Agency Specific section

of the ChildPlus family application screen.

Eligibility



Kinship Care

According to OHS-PC-I-055, when a family receives kinship care for a child, that child is

considered categorically income eligible for Head Start. This is because kinship care is

considered relative foster care under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act and receipt of

foster care assistance conveys categorical eligibility.

According to the Child Welfare System, kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing, and

protection of children by relatives, members of their tribes or clans, godparents,

stepparents, or any adult who has a kinship bond with a child.

Children in kinship care are considered foster children and categorically

eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start.

The DA must maintain official documentation in the file demonstrating the

child is in foster care as of the date eligibility is determined.

The DA must document the child is receiving kinship care through official

DCFS documentation for child to be considered a foster child and categorically

eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start.

Kinship care is different from an informal arrangement with a caregiver

without DCFS or court documents. An informal caregiver arrangement does

not qualify as categorically eligible, and therefore income eligibility will need

to be determined.

Caregiver Arrangement

This is an informal arrangement in which a person is designated by the natural parent to

care for the child. This arrangement does not involve the court system and requires the

Caregiver Affidavit form in the child’s file.

Some families may have a court order indicating that they have been granted the child’s

legal guardian. This may or may not be considered a child in the foster care system; this

information can be clarified by contacting the social worker assigned to the case.

Income Eligibility

The DA must determine a family’s income based on the Federal Poverty Income

Guidelines. Documentation and calculations must be maintained in the file for all

families determined to be income eligible.

Eligibility



Head Start

Once a child has been determined to be income eligible or receiving public assistance, the

child remains income eligible for Head Start services through that enrollment year and

the immediately succeeding enrollment year, provided the child is not dropped during the

current program year. If the child is dropped and the family wants to return, the income

must be re-verified.

Early Head Start

Children enrolled in Early Head Start remain eligible for the program until the child is

three years old. If the child is going to be transitioned into Head Start, the family’s

income must be re-verified.

Public Assistance

TANF and SSI are the only two programs that qualify as public assistance for

determining eligibility.

A family that receives either TANF or SSI is eligible for Head Start services, regardless

of family income. The Final Rule on Head Start Eligibility organized public assistance,

which includes TANF and SSI, under “income eligibility” to be consistent with the Head

Start Act.

Families receiving TANF or SSI must be identified as Income Eligible on the Application

for Services and on the HSEV form. The program does not need to verify the family’s

income; however, the public assistance benefit amount must be calculated for 12 months

on Section D4 of the Application for Services.

CalWORKs

CalWORKs is the State of California’s version of the federal assistance program

known as TANF.

LACOE requires that the DA obtain one of the following documents as

verification that the family is receiving public assistance:

o Notice of Action (NOA) from the Department of Public Social Services

o Verification of Benefits from the Department of Public Social Services

o An electronic verification of benefits from the Department of Public

Social Services is an acceptable form of documentation as long as the

recipient can provide proof to verify the identification number.

The documentation used as verification that the family is receiving public

assistance should be dated within six months of determining eligibility.

Eligibility



Agencies can secure documentation with the parent’s authorization from 1-877-

328-9677.

If the public assistance is episodic (one-time-only benefit based on emergency

need), then the benefit is not counted as public assistance.

Families receiving only food stamp benefits for the purpose of determining

eligibility are not considered to be recipients of public assistance.

Also excluded are noncash benefits such as federal noncash benefit programs like

Medicare, Medicaid, and Medi-Cal. None of these meets the definition of public

assistance for Head Start.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is a federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social

Security taxes). Income from Social Security retirement benefits or Social Security

disability benefits is not considered SSI.

SSI is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people who have little or no income and

provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

Eligibility



In order to be considered an SSI recipient, and, therefore, eligible for Head Start

or Early Head Start, the SSI recipient must be the child enrolling in the program

or must be a family member. Family members include the child, the child’s

parent(s) or guardian(s), and any other person living in the child’s household who

is supported by the income of the child’s parent(s) or guardians(s) and is related to

the child by blood, marriage, or adoption.

LACOE requires that the DA requests a letter of approval with a Social Security

Administration header and includes the monthly benefit amount as verification

that a family is receiving SSI benefits.

Eligibility



Determining Income

The period of time to be considered for eligibility is the 12 months immediately

preceding the month in which application or reapplication for enrollment of a child is

made, or for the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the

application or reapplication is made, whichever more accurately reflects the family's

current needs.

In the event Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms are used to determine

income, DA staff must maintain copies of the signed tax forms in the child’s file.

o If the family filed electronically through a tax preparation agency, then a

copy of the electronic submission verification page or electronic signature

verification must be kept on file, and the signature page must contain a

PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) number.

o If the family electronically “Self-Prepared” the taxes, then the signature

page must contain an “electronic signature” or a “Personal Identification

Number” (PIN) demonstrating the documents were processed with the

IRS.

o If the family “Self-Prepared” and mailed the forms, use the W-2s

submitted to the IRS or request a tax return transcript or tax account

transcript from the IRS.

o Families who have lost their copy of their tax return may request a tax

return transcript or tax account transcript from the IRS by following the

instructions on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-

Transcript.

Gross Income must be used when determining eligibility (refer to definition of

Income in the Attachment Section of this manual).

Income calculations must be captured on the Application for Services form or on

the Application Attachment form. The total family income must be entered in the

ChildPlus system (show your work).

When determining eligibility for a child in full-day/wrap-around program, the

family must be income eligible for both funding streams

o If an over-income child is interested in the full-day Head Start program

partnered with the California State Preschool Program, the family’s

income may not exceed 15 percent of the State Income Ceiling.

When there is a negative income, for instance from a business loss, the gross

income is zero.

Self-employed families with self-employment tax deductions on their 1040 IRS

documents must use the adjusted gross income (line 37). Note: The only

applicable deduction for the adjusted gross income (line 27) is the self-

employment tax.

Eligibility



When calculating income all the cents must be included until the total income for

the year has been established. Then using basic math principles, the total income

may be rounded to the nearest dollar.

All overtime and commissions must be included either for the 12 months

immediately preceding the month in which the income was made or for the

calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which the income was

made, whichever more accurately reflects the family's need.

If the family gives consent, DA staff may accept written statements from third

parties about the family’s eligibility for the relevant time period (Final Rule

1305.4 Determining, verifying, and documenting eligibility).

Applicant statements may be used only as a last resort when a parent has

exhausted all possible avenues to obtain income documentation. The DA must

ensure that sufficient documentation is gathered to accurately capture the time

period to be considered for eligibility, 12 months immediately preceding the

month in which the application is made or the previous calendar year.

Current Situation

According to OHS Policy Clarification I-008, if neither the last 12 months nor the

preceding calendar year accurately represents the family’s current situation, then the

Head Start/Early Head Start program must use its judgment in deciding if it seems likely

that the current situation more accurately reflects the family’s likely economic status

during the period of the child’s enrollment.

LACOE requires the DA that adopts “current situation” as a criterion to consider

eligibility to comply with the following:

Develop a policy to uniformly implement this practice across the DA.

o Policy must include guidance for staff to capture the proper information

for each family enrolled under this circumstance.

Train staff to be able to articulate the policy as well as how and why a decision

regarding eligibility was made.

Define for all DA staff what is meant by “significant changes” in family’s

income.

Maintain the justification and applicable documentation for enrolling the family in

the child’s file.

o The justification must include:

the type of data/documentation used to determine eligibility,

including the information attained while interviewing the family, at

a minimum:

Eligibility



Describe, based on the family’s responses, the family’s

current situation and how it varies from the 12 preceding

months or the prior calendar year.

Capture how long the family been in this “current

situation.”

Determine the likelihood of obtaining employment that

would qualify the family as over-income during the

program year based on information from the community

assessment.

the program’s justification for determining the child is income

eligible, including information about the number of months that

reflects the family’s current situation (these will be the months

used to calculate income);

a statement the child is eligible to participate in the program;

a signature from a supervisor or person designated by the director

authorized to approve such requests.

Calculating Income for Military Personnel

There are numerous categories of pay and allowances. Some are counted as gross cash

income and others are not. The following ARE included in gross cash income unless it is

paid for service in a combat zone:

Basic pay, which includes active duty, back wages, drills, reserve training,

training duty;

Bonuses – career status, enlistment, officer, overseas extension, reenlistment;

Incentive pay – submarine, flight, hazardous duty, high altitude/low altitude;

Other payments – accrued leave, high deployment per diem, personal money

allowances paid to high-ranking officers, specified student loan repayment

programs.

The following ARE NOT included as gross cash income:

New exemptions in certain military pay and allowances according to the

“Improving Head Start Readiness Act of 2007”

o Duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger

o Basic allowance for housing

Living allowances – Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Basic Allowance for

Subsistence, housing and cost of living allowances abroad, Overseas Housing

Allowances

Eligibility



Moving Allowances – moving household and personal items, storage, moving

trailers or mobile homes, temporary lodging, dislocation, military base

realignment and closure benefit

Travel Allowances – annual roundtrip for dependent students, leave between

consecutive overseas tours, reassignment in a dependent restricted status,

transportation during ship overhaul and inactivation, per diem

Family Allowances – specified educational expenses for dependents,

emergencies, evacuation to a place of safety, separation

Death Allowances – burial services, death gratuity payments to eligible survivors,

travel of dependents to burial site

In Kind Benefits – dependent care assistance, legal assistance, medical/dental

care, commissary/exchange discounts, space-available travel on government

carriers

Other payments – disability, group term life insurance, professional education,

ROTC educational and subsistence allowances, uniform allowance, survivor and

retirement protection plan premiums

Eligibility



Income Guidelines

For California State Preschool Programs and General Child Care and Development,

Center-based Programs (CCTR) use State Income Guidelines at 70 percent state median

income (SMI)

State Income Guidelines at 70% SMI

Family Size Family Monthly Income Family Yearly Income

1 – 2 $3,283 $39,396

3 $3,518 $42,216

4 $3,908 $46,896

5 $4,534 $54,408

6 $5,159 $61,908

7 $5,276 $63,312

8 $5,394 $64,728

9 $5,511 $66,132

10 $5,628 $67,536

11 $5,745 $68,940

12 $5,863 $70,356

For HS/EHS use Federal Poverty Guidelines

2016 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Persons

in Family

48 Contiguous States and D.C.

1 $11,880

2 $16,020

3 $20,160

4 $24,300

5 $28,440

6 $32,580

7 $36,730

8 $40,890

For each additional person, add $4,160

Eligibility



130% Federal Poverty Guidelines Income Thresholds

Family Size 130% Thresholds based on 2016 Federal Poverty Guidelines

at 100% at 130%

1 $11,880 $15,444

2 $16,020 $20,826

3 $20,160 $26,208

4 $24,300 $31,590

5 $28,440 $36,972

6 $32,580 $42,354

7 $36,730 $47,749

8 $40,890 $53,157

Note: For families with more than 8 persons add:

$4,160 $5,408

for each additional person

15% Thresholds over State Income Guidelines

State Income Guidelines 15% above 70% SMI

Family Size Monthly Income Yearly Income at 15% above 70% SMI

1 – 2 $3,283 $39,396 $45,305

3 $3,518 $42,216 $48,548

4 $3,908 $46,896 $53,930

5 $4,534 $54,408 $62,569

6 $5,159 $61,908 $71,194

7 $5,276 $63,312 $72,809

8 $5,394 $64,728 $74,437

9 $5,511 $66,132 $76,052

10 $5,628 $67,536 $77,666

11 $5,745 $68,940 $79,281

12 $5,863 $70,356 $80,909

Income Guidelines for New Program Year

When new income guidelines are disseminated by the Administration for Children and

Families (ACF) through an Information Memorandum (IM), LACOE and its DAs will

continue to use the existing Income Guidelines throughout the remainder of the program

year for all applications seeking enrollment in the current program year. The new income

guidelines will be applicable for all children/pregnant women seeking enrollment in the

subsequent program year, unless otherwise directed by Grantee.

Eligibility



Children with Disabilities

Children with disabilities must also meet the eligibility criteria outlined for HS/EHS as

applicable. At least 10 percent of the total number of enrollment slots allocated to each

DA must be filled with children with disabilities as defined in 1305.2(a). The DA

disabilities coordinator must refer children to the LEA for evaluation as soon as the need

is evident for children participating in the HS/EHS program. The sources of referral

include parent concern, teacher observation, screening and assessment results, and

collateral information from other service providers.

Clarifications

The total percentage is calculated by the number of enrollments of HS/EHS

children enrolled with an IFSP or IEP at the DA.

To be counted in the 10 percent children enrolled in EHS must have an IFSP and

children enrolled in HS must have an IEP.

No child can receive special education services until an IEP/IFSP is in place.

Income-eligible three-year-old children with IEPs should be recruited and

enrolled prior to enrolling over-income four-year-old children.

If a DA enrolls a child under three with an IFSP, the DA needs to have the child

re-evaluated by the LEA to change the IFSP to an IEP as applicable.

The 10 percent requirement must be maintained throughout the program year.

o It is not a cumulative number.

o The actual number of children enrolled in a program on any given day

determines compliance.

Funded enrollment is the basis for determining how many children with

disabilities must be enrolled in the program.

o For example, a DA’s funded enrollment is 130 as per the LACOE

contract. The base number is 130, the funded enrollment number. Take

130, multiply this number by 10 percent, and the result is 13 (130 X .10 =

13). This means that the DA must enroll at least 13 children with an

IEP/IFSP and maintain this number throughout the program year.

Note(s):

If a child with a disability is dropped from a program, the DA has 30 days to fill

the slot; failure to fill the slot within 30 days will impact the 10 percent

requirement.

Slots may not be shared. For example, if a child’s IEP/IFSP states that the child

can attend the program only a few days per week, then the slot is considered

occupied for the remaining days.

Eligibility



Midpoint

Each DA must meet the 10 percent requirement by January 31 (ACF-PI-HS-09-04).

Returning Children

Returning children are income eligible or categorically eligible children who actively

participated in the program during the enrollment year and are seeking to continue

services in the following program year. Children enrolled in HS as income or

categorically eligible children remain eligible for two years.

The DA must contact the family to determine if the child will be returning to the program

for the succeeding program year. All families planning to have their children return must:

Complete a new application and maintain the documentation used to determine

eligibility in year one in the child’s file.

Leave section D of the Application for Services blank as it does not need to be

completed since eligibility was determined in year one.

Secure both staff and parent signature and signature dates in the year two

Application for Services form.

Rank all returning children to ensure that children with the greatest need for EHS

or HS services are prioritized for enrollment.

Indicate in section E, under Application notes, the following statement,

“Eligibility information captured in Year 1 Application for Services”.

Full-Day Returning Children

In order to be eligible for a full-day program in year two, the family must meet the

criteria for full-day programs for both years. DA staff must verify the family’s continued

need for participation in a full-day program by completing a LACOE Full-Day Rationale

form and secure documentation to demonstrate the need for full-day services in the new

program year.

Third-Year Returning Children

If a Head Start child is returning for a third year, the DA must re-verify the family’s

income to determine eligibility and document why kindergarten is unavailable.

Over-Income Returning Children

Over-income children who do not have an active IEP/IFSP must have their income re-

verified annually.

Eligibility



Note(s):

Over-income children with an IEP/IFSP in the current program year who seek to continue

services in HS with an IEP/IFSP in the subsequent year do not need family income re-

verified.

The DA must count this family as an over-income family in the subsequent year

and ensure compliance with the 10 percent limit regarding enrollment of over-

income children.

Early Head Start

Children enrolled in EHS remain eligible for the program until the child is three years

old. If the child is going to transition into HS, the family income must be re-verified.

HS programs are not required to enroll pregnant women. However, if the woman is

enrolled during pregnancy, the program must plan for continuity of EHS services for the

newborn. After the birth of the baby, the family must complete the page 1 of the

Application for Services form to confirm that the child will continue participating in EHS

program. Although eligibility does not need to be determined for the newborn child,

documentation to verify birth must be included in the family file.

Transitioning from EHS to HS

DA staff should be familiar with both EHS and HS programs to better facilitate

the transition process.

Transitions should be individualized for maximum effect.

The DA must examine its classrooms and see if it can accommodate the younger

eligible children.

The DA must eliminate barriers and be prepared to enroll these children if

referred.

The DA needs information on EHS programs in its area and develop relationships

with those outside agencies who have EHS programs outside of LACOE.

Home-based option should be considered if the parent does not feel comfortable

in a center-based option.

The DA must document the transition plan developed in collaboration with the

child’s family to show the DA has been planning the transition for and with the

child’s family (at least six months prior to the child’s third birthday and earlier if

needed).

Please refer to GIM GIM-1304.40_(30)v3 for further guidance.

Eligibility



Enrolling Children when Income Exceeds FPL

Federal regulations allow children whose family income exceeds the federal poverty line

(FPL) to be enrolled in HS or EHS only after demonstrating that all categorically and

income eligible children have been enrolled and will not be displaced by an over-income

child. When enrolling children whose incomes exceed 100 percent of the FPL, the DA

must determine if a family will be enrolled as either an over-income child, not to exceed

10 percent of total funded slots, or a child whose income is up to 130 percent of the FPL,

not to exceed 35 percent of total funded slots.

Prior to enrolling children as over income or those whose income is up to 130 percent

FPL, the DA must:

Describe in the ERSEA plan how children in each of these categories will be

selected for enrollment (selection criteria)

Describe in the ERSEA plan and maintain evidence throughout the year of

outreach strategies and activities to identify and recruit eligible families

Establish policies and procedures for ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance

with each of these categories

Complete a Rationale (LACOE standardized form) when enrolling a child in one

of these categories that identifies the selection criteria/criterion the child meets

and maintain the form in the child’s file

o Print a copy of the site Waitlist (ChildPlus Waitlist Management Report

#2006) and attach to the Rationale form to demonstrate no other eligible

child on the list is being displaced.

Secure approval from the DA director or designee prior to enrolling the child in

one of these categories.

Re-verify income each program year

o Exception: Children with an active IEP/IFSP enrolled in the current

program year who seek to continue services in HS/EHS and will have an

active IEP/IFSP in the subsequent year do not have to have the family

income re-verified.

o The DA must count the child as over income or 130 percent FPL in the

subsequent year and ensure compliance with the limit regarding

enrollments of such children (10 percent for over income and 35 percent

for 130 percent FPL).

Eligibility



Over Income

According to regulation 1305.4(b)(2), up to 10 percent of the funded enrollment slots

may be children from families that exceed the low-income guidelines but who meet the

criteria the DA established for selecting such children and who would benefit from HS

services. For example, if the DA is funded for 100 slots, at no time can the number of

over-income children enrolled exceed 10 (100 X .10 = 10).

A DA enrolling children in this category must adhere to the following:

Enroll only children whose family income does not exceed 15 percent of the State

Poverty Income Guidelines.

o If the family’s income exceeds 15 percent of the State Poverty Income

Guidelines but is identified as a family that would benefit from HS/EHS

services, the DA must, prior to enrolling the child, request and receive

approval from LACOE.

130 Percent Federal Poverty Guidelines

According to the 2007 Head Start Act – Section 645, grantees may, subject to the specific

requirements of Section 645(a)(1)(B)(iii)(ll), serve up to 35 percent of their children from

families with incomes of up to 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Full-Day Eligibility

Families being considered for full-day programs must meet one of the (income or

categorical) eligibility requirements. In addition, families also must meet a need criterion,

such as:

employed, in job training, or attending school with no caregiver present in

the home

actively seeking employment

has a special need (for the purposes of meeting eligibility for full-day

program, special need is defined as families facing special needs that

justify the need for full-day services, such as a family member in the home

with a chronic disability)

Note(s):

In order to be eligible for a full-day program the family must meet the criteria for

full-day services.

DA staff must document the family’s need for participation in a full-day program

by completing a LACOE full-day rationale form and secure documentation to

demonstrate the need for full-day services in the program year.

Eligibility



The language written on the rationale form must specify the selection criteria the

family meets that make them eligible to receive full-day services.

Full-day services require verification of needs of services, such as employment

verification, school records, and/or verification of seeking employment.

Acceptable documents should be outlined in the DA’s ERSEA plan.

The parent schedule must justify the total hours of care provided by the full-day

program.

If a family gives written consent, the DA can contact the third party to verify the

need for full-day services.

For example, a parent who works only four hours a day but has to travel an hour to get to

work needs a program that provides at least six to six and a half hours of care. That

allows sufficient time to drop off the child at the center, get to work, and leave work to

pick up the child. In this case the DA could approve placing a family in a full-day slot

that operated six and a half hours, but not if the full-day program operated 10-plus hours

per day.

Some DAs operate full-day slots 10-plus hours per day (full working day). In this type of

program, the DA will look for families working approximately eight hours per day and

factor in commute time to justify a full working day program.

“The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-

time employment. This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer.” (U.S.

Department of Labor – www.dol.gov)

Address Verification

The DA is required to secure documentation of residence (proof of address) for all

families to ensure that they are residing within the DA’s service area. The documentation

must be kept in the child’s file.

If a homeless family cannot provide address verification, it is permissible to use the

address of the agency/center where the child will be enrolled.

The DA must include the acceptable documentation as proof of residence in its ERSEA

Plan. It is up to each DA to determine what it deems acceptable proof (for example,

utility bills, rental agreements, or other official documents).


Tier 1 Monitoring

The DA is required to use ChildPlus for ongoing monitoring to:

Eligibility



Ensure the DA is assigning eligibility points and placing the applicants on a

ranked waitlist.

Ensure that the DA determines eligibility of families recruited in the community

in a timely manner.

The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Enrollment Priority List Report #2025 to

monitor the DA’s priority list.

The report must be used to monitor the DA’s Waitlist that is ranked to identify

children with the highest priority points. The report must be filtered to identify

children with the status of “New” prior to the start of the program year.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “Waitlist” when

the program is seeking to fill a vacancy that occurred after the start date as a result

of a drop.

The report can be filtered to provide a total number of children with one of the

following statuses: New, Waitlist, Accepted, and Enrolled.



Selection

Definitions

Selection

Regulation 1305.2(q): Selection means the systematic process used to review all

applications for HS and EHS services in order to identify those children and families that

are to be enrolled in the program.

Selection of Children

Regulation 1305.6(a): Each HS and EHS program must have a formal process for

establishing selection criteria and for selecting children and families that considers all

eligible applicants for services. The selection criteria must be based on those contained in

paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.

Selection List

This is the list of children who have been selected and “Accepted” to fill the vacant slot

in the beginning of the program year or when a vacancy occurs.

Accepted

Such applicants who have been selected to fill an empty slot 30 days prior to the first day

of school or who were selected to fill a vacancy within 30 days. Accepted applicants have

met the eligibility requirements, completed the enrollment process, and are waiting to

start the program on the expected start date.

Waitlist

Participants on the ranked list who were not accepted prior to the program start date and

would like to be waitlisted are assigned a “waitlisted” date in ChildPlus.

Selection



Requirements

Determining Priority

LACOE conducts a countywide community assessment and uses the data to identify the

selection criteria to be adopted for a given funding cycle. The DA assigns points to the

established criteria in order to select families with the greatest need for services.

In selecting children and families to be served, the DA must also consider the eligibility,

the age of the child, the availability of kindergarten, and the extent to which a child or

family meets the criteria that each program requires.

The DA must ensure sufficient priority points are allocated to categorically

eligible children.

Every DA must use the selection criteria included in Exhibit N in the Delegate

Agency or Child Care Provider LACOE Contract. These are the approved criteria

used to set up selection in ChildPlus.

Children transitioning from EHS programs must also be given priority for

enrollment to ensure continuation of services and seamless transitions even if the

DA does not operate an EHS program.

The DA must establish procedures that identify when an over-income child may

be selected and accepted into the program.

Note(s):

All age-eligible children should be included in the ranking system as there may be

reasons for selecting and enrolling a three-year-old before a four-year-old.

Three-year-old children should have additional ranking points to ensure that they

can be ranked and selected for enrollment. A three-year-old income or

categorically eligible child who has an IEP/IFSP may rank higher than a four-

year-old.

Selection



Assigning Points

After the child has been determined eligible for services and has met the local priorities,

the family is assigned priority points as determined by the selection criteria.

The DA must ensure that the selection process not only takes into account the

specific requirements outlined in the regulation but also reflects the current needs

of families in the service area.

o Selection of the families most in need of services does not occur without

careful planning and attention to vital program and community data.

o The DA must select children for enrollment according to the highest

ranked application.

When children are selected to fill a slot the applicant status in

ChildPlus must be changed to “accepted”

o If the family is offered a slot and refuses it, the family should be offered

the opportunity to remain on the Waitlist to have another opportunity to be

selected to fill another slot in the DA.

DA staff must change the status in ChildPlus for families

requesting to remain on the Waitlist from “Accepted” to

“Waitlisted.”

o The eligibility of children remaining on the Waitlist at the end of the

program year must be re-verified prior to ranking the applicants for the

new program year.

Children/families who have not been selected for enrollment but are eligible for

the program must be maintained on the Waitlist for the opportunity to be selected

in the event a vacancy occurs throughout the program year.

Selecting Applicants

The DA must fully accept all funded slots with children who meet the eligibility criteria

and local priorities 30 days prior to the first day of class operation as required in LACOE

Contract Section 12.4 Enrollment.

In order for the DA to fully accept all children needed to meet full enrollment, the DA

must have a selection procedure that identifies an incremental process based on the DA’s

funded enrollment. The DA is required to:

Identify the number of returning families eligible for the program year.

Identify the number of age-eligible siblings of returning families.

Analyze the DA’s ranked list/interest list to identify the number of children

needed to reach full enrollment.

Selection



Select children from its ranked list/interest list at a minimum weekly prior to

meeting full enrollment. After the DA has met full enrollment, the DA is required

to select children at a minimum twice a month.

For example:

o “Big Stars” is scheduled to start on September 6, 2016, and is funded to

serve 500 children. The DA has been building an interest list and has

contacted families to determine if they will be returning for the new

program year.

o The DA has identified that 100 families are interested in returning for the

second year. “Big Stars” should recruit more than 400 families to ensure

that it fully accepts all children 30 days prior to the start date.

o “Big Stars” began selecting children in May. It must select 50 children

twice a month for the next four months (May through August) to fully

accept all children needed to reach full enrollment.

The DA must maintain ongoing communication with families who have been recruited,

determined eligible, and selected to ensure that the families understand the importance of

the child attending on the expected start date.

Note(s):

The DA is required to analyze previous year’s data to determine how many

applicants the DA must maintain on its Waitlist to fill outstanding vacancies that

normally occur within the year.

Over-income families may have an opportunity to be selected for enrollment after

children with the highest priority.


Tier 1 Monitoring


o Ensure the DA is selecting children with the highest priority first.

o Ensure that the DA’s eligibility points are in alignment with the DA’s

selection criteria.

Selection



The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Enrollment Priority List Report #2025 to

monitor the selection of children with the highest priority.

The report must be used to select children with the highest priority prior to the

DA’s start date and when filling a vacancy that occurs during the program year.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “Accepted.”

For ongoing monitoring purposes, the report should be used to verify that children

with the highest priority points are selected first. This includes monitoring

compliance with the over-income requirements.

Selection



The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Management Report-Waitlist Report 2006 to

monitor the Waitlist prior to selecting an over-income child (10 percent or 130 percent

FPL).

The report must be used to verify that over-income eligible children were not

selected prior to income or categorically eligible children on the DA’s Waitlist.

A copy of this report must be kept in the child’s file when selected for enrollment.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “Waitlist.”



Enrollment

Definitions

Enrollment

Regulation 1305.2(b): Enrollment means the official acceptance of a family by a HS

program and the completion of all procedures necessary for a child and family to begin

receiving services.

Ancillary Services

Ancillary services are defined as supplementary services provided to enrolled children in

the event that the start is delayed. If the DA’s start date is delayed due to licensing or

facilities issues, the DA must have documentation of the service provided. Examples of

ancillary services may include the following: parent orientation; first parent conference;

home visits; sensory, developmental and behavior screenings (ASQ, vision, hearing,

etc.); family assessment; family partnership agreements and follow-up; referrals and

follow-up; health services follow-ups; nutrition and education assessments; parent

education workshops; individual development plans (IDP) for the parent goals for the

child.

Funded Enrollment

Regulation 1305.2(f): Funded enrollment means the number of children that the HS

Grantee is funded for and will serve, as indicated on the grant award. For EHS, funded

enrollment includes pregnant women and children birth to three years old.

DAs and child care providers are funded through LACOE to provide HS and/or EHS

services as outlined in each DA’s contract.

Enrollment Date/Start Date/Entry Date

The enrollment date, start date, and entry date are interchangeable terms. The enrolled

date is the date that the child attends class, receives a home visit, or a direct service on or

after the expected start date.

Enrollment Year

Regulation 1305.2(d): Enrollment year means the period of time, not to exceed 12

months, during which the HS-EHS program provides center- or home-based services to a

group of children or pregnant mothers and their families.

Enrollment



Program Options

Options are HS services provided to children through center-based, home-based, or

family child care settings.

Program Variation

A program variation for center-based services describes full day, part day, or double

session.

Co-location

Co-location is an arrangement in which HS children and children funded by other sources

are enrolled in the same classroom (not to exceed 20 children).

Empty Slot

An empty slot is one that has never been filled. If the program year begins and empty

slots exist, then the DA is considered under-enrolled and LACOE will enforce the

sanctions outlined in the Contract Section 9, Enforcement Sanctions.

Transfer

Transfer is when a child moves from one classroom or site to another classroom or site

within the DA. The DA cannot transfer children between classes to avoid vacancy

deadlines.

Requirements

Regulation 1305.7(b) A Head Start grantee must maintain its funded enrollment level.

When a program determines that a vacancy exists, no more than 30 calendar days may

elapse before the vacancy is filled.

In order for LACOE to count a participant as enrolled, the DA must assign the participant

to a center, class and identify the start date.

When a DA determines that a vacancy exists, no more than 30 calendar days may

elapse before the vacancy is filled.

The DA may elect not to fill a vacancy when 60 calendar days or less remain in

the program’s enrollment year

The DA may not transfer children from one class to another class to fill vacancies

unless specifically requested by a parent

Enrollment



Enrollment Date/Start Date/Entry Date

The enrollment date, start date, and entry date are interchangeable terms. The enrolled

date is the date that the child attends class, receives a home visit or a direct service on or

after the expected start date. Only children with an “enrolled” date in ChildPlus will be

counted as part of the DA’s total enrollment. The enrollment date, for an applicant filling

a vacant slot within 30 days as a result of a drop, is the date the family is expected to

start.

The enrollment date for home-based participants will remain the beginning of the

home visit week as identified in the DA’s Schedule I and K.

This is also the date used to track compliance with the service timelines.

Delay in Start Date

All classes must be operational by September 30 to ensure that the number of operational

days is met as defined in 45 CFR Part 1306 [LACOE Contract Section 12.5].

If the start date is delayed, the DA must receive prior approval from LACOE and the

following criteria must be met:

Ancillary services must be provided to children who have been enrolled in the

program.

The maximum time a start date may be delayed and children count as enrolled is

30 days and may not go beyond October 31.

Ancillary services must be documented and may include the following:

o Parent orientation

o First parent conference

o Home visits

o Sensory, developmental, and behaviors screening (ASQ, vision, hearing,

etc.)

o Family assessment

o Family partnership agreements and follow-up

o Referrals and follow-up

o Health services follow-ups

o Nutrition assessments and education

o Parent education workshops

o Individual development plans (IDP), parent goals for the child

o Pedestrian Safety

Enrollment



Program Options

Grantees may choose to implement one or more program options: center-based, home-

based, a combination option, or family child care option [1306.31 (a):

Center-based Option

HS or EHS services provided to children primarily in classroom settings (1306.3

Definitions).

Class Size

Class size is determined on the first day and is based on the predominant age of the

children (1306.32 (a) (10) - Class size). Classes predominately made up of four-year-

olds can enroll up to 20 children, while classes that are predominately three-year-olds can

enroll no more than 17 children.

The determination need not be changed during the program year, even if there are

changes in the age composition of the children in the class. This class size is expected to

be maintained throughout the program year. The DA can fill vacancies with either a

three-year-old or a four-year-old, based on the selection criteria and the ranking on the

Waitlist (OHS – Policy Clarification – 1- 024, Requirement).

Home-based Option

HS or EHS services provided to children, primarily in the child’s home, or pregnant

mothers, primarily in the pregnant mother’s home, through intensive work with the

child’s parents and family as the primary factor in the growth and development of the

child [1306.3 Definitions].

Home visit schedules are developed with the parent.

Family Child Care Option

HS, EHS, and child care services provided to children receiving child care primarily in

the home of a family child care provider or other family like setting, such as a space in a

public housing complex which has been licensed by the state and set aside specifically for

the provision of or purpose of providing family child care [1306.3 (o)].

Combination Option

HS or EHS services provided to children through both a center- and home-based setting

and through the intensive work with the child’s parents [1306.3 (b)].

Enrollment



The combination program option must provide class sessions and home visits that result

in an amount of contact with children and families that is, at a minimum, equivalent to

the services provided through the center-based program option or the home-based

program option [1306.34 (a)(1)].

Program Variations

The DA may use only the program variations that have been approved in the Schedule I

and K submitted with the funding application by LACOE for the program year, unless a

change is requested and approved when submitted through the RAA/BAR process. A DA

operating different program variations, such as part-day or full-day services, may have

more than one start dates.

Full Day

A center-based program providing services more than six hours per day.

Part Day

A center-based program providing services at least three and a half and no more than six

hours per day.

Double Session

A part-day center-based program in which a single teacher is employed to work with one

group of children in the morning and a different group in the afternoon in the same

classroom.

Vacancy

A vacancy is an unfilled slot. The DA must fill the vacancies immediately and not wait

30 days in order to maintain full enrollment. Vacant slots result in under-enrollment.

Slots that have been vacant for more than 30 days result in under-enrollment, and

LACOE may impose sanctions as stated in the Contract Section 8, Enforcement

Sanctions, and those described in the GIM, “Ongoing Monitoring System, Track

C, and Enforcement.”

Vacancies that occurred prior to the last 60 days in the program year must be

filled.

Programs are expected to maintain the class size that was determined at the

beginning of the year, regardless of changes in the age composition of the

children in the class [OHS-PC-I-024].

Enrollment



As a result, programs can fill vacancies with either a three-year-old or four-year-

old according to the program’s selection criteria (45 CFR 1306.32(a)(10); 45 CFR

1306.32(a)(12)).

If a child has four consecutive unexcused absences, the DA must have proper

procedures to determine if the slot is considered vacant (HS Performance

Standard 1305.8(b)).

In the event a drop occurs as a result of consecutive absences, appropriate family

support must be documented to ensure special family circumstances were

considered prior to the drop.

Absences that exceed 10 days must show documented contact with the family

with intention to return.

Example: How vacancies impact enrollment

David was enrolled in the HS part-day program on July 7.

During the month of August, all enrolled families, 100 in number, including

David’s parent, attended a parent orientation, received a family needs assessment,

and received information from the DA’s annual health fair.

The HS program’s first day of program operation is September 9 and by August 7

the program had enrolled 100 children.

On September 9 and 10, David failed to show for the first and second day of class.

LACOE must report the enrollment numbers to the OHS Regional Office each

Monday. Therefore, the HS program must report enrollment numbers each Friday.

On September 11, the HS program reports 100 children enrolled, and of the total

enrollment, 10 children are disabled. The HS program reports that the program is

fully enrolled.

Explanation

Although David did not show for the first day of class, the HS program counted David in

the total enrollment number based on the ancillary services that the family received prior

to the first day of class. Before the next reporting period, the program should implement

immediate follow-up to determine if David is still interested in participating in the

program. If not, David’s slot should be considered as a vacancy and the DA’s procedures

for filling a vacancy should be implemented. The DA has 30 calendar days to fill the

vacancy. If the vacancy remains unfilled for more than 30 calendar days, the DA will be

under-enrolled.

Enrollment



Transfers

A transfer does not fill a vacancy and does not change the fact that the DA has fewer

children enrolled than it is funded to serve. Transfers just move the vacant slot to another

location. Therefore, the date the vacancy originally occurred, regardless of classroom or

home visitor where the slot was originally assigned, is the date the DA must use to ensure

the vacancy is filled within 30 days.

Example: How do transfers impact a vacancy?

The DA is funded to serve 48 children at three centers (Center A, Center B, and Center

C), with one classroom at each center. On September 1, 2016, agency was fully enrolled

with a total of 48 children. For further explanation, please see the following example:

Date Action Impact

September 20 Two terminations: one

child from Center B,

one child from Center

C

DA has 46 children enrolled and two

vacancies.

DA has 30 days from September 20 to fill

the slots before it is considered under

enrolled

September 30

DA enrollment

submitted to OHS

DA reports 48 children enrolled because

the DA has not exceeded the 30 days

allowed to fill a vacant slot

October 3 DA transfers a child

from Center A to

Center C

DA still has 46 children enrolled and two

vacancies. Note: As of October 3, the DA

has 16 days (30 days - 14 days since the

vacancy occurred) left to fill the vacancies

that occurred on September 20

Enrollment for this day is reported at 48

since the vacancies are still within the 30-

calendar-days period

October 14 DA enrolls a child

from the accepted list

in ChildPlus, who will

attend Center B

DA’s enrollment is now 47 and 1 vacancy.

Note: As of October 14, the DA has five

days left to fill the vacancy that occurred

on September 20

Enrollment



Date Action Impact

Enrollment for this day is reported at 48

since the remaining vacancy is still within

the 30-calendar-days period.

October 24 DA enrolls a child

who will attend Center

A

DA has now reached full enrollment of

48,.ut because the slot was not filled by

October 19 (the 30th calendar day from

the original vacancy date) the DA has

been under-enrolled from October 20 to

October 23

Policy on Fee for Service

Regulation 1305.9: A Head Start program must not prescribe any fee schedule or

otherwise provide for the charging of any fees for participation in the program. If the

family of a child determined to be eligible for participation by a Head Start program

volunteers to pay part or all of the costs of the child’s participation, the Head Start

program may accept the voluntary payments and record the payments as program

income.

Under no circumstances shall a Head Start program solicit, encourage, or in any other

way condition a child’s enrollment or participation in the program upon the payment of a

fee.

ERSEA Files for All Participants

Separate files must be maintained for all participants enrolled in programs with multiple

funding sources. The files must comply with the requirements of the specific program’s

funding source.

In order to ensure compliance to HS Performance Standard 1304.51 (g) Record Keeping

Systems, LACOE requires that all applicant files contain LACOE ERSEA-required

documents in the following order:

Enrollment



2016-17 ERSEA File Contents (New Applicant)

• 2016-17 ERSEA File Content Checklist

• 2016-17 Application for Services Form

• Age Documentation (EHS-Pregnancy Verification, if applicable)

• 2016-17 Head Start Eligibility Verification Form (printed from ChildPlus)

• Eligibility Documentation (Categorical or Income documents)

• Address Verifcation Documents

• Approved Interagency Enrollment Agreement (if applicable)

• Grantee to Grantee Approval Letter (if applicable)

• Over Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• Over-Income Grantee approval letter (if applicable for families over 15% of state guidelines)

• Caregiver Affidavit (if applicable)

Enrollment



2016-17 ERSEA File Contents (Returning Students)




• Age Documentation (EHS-Pregnancy Verification if applicable)

• 2015-16 Head Start Eligibility Verification Form (ChildPlus form printed in year one when eligibility was determined)

• 2016-17 HSEV form required only for returning over-income children without an IEP or IFSP

• Eligibility Documentation (Categorical or Income Documents from year one)

• New eligibility documentation needed for all returning over-income children without an IEP/IFSP

• Address Verification Documents

• Approved Interagency Enrollment Agreement (if applicable)

• New Grantee to Grantee Approval Letter (if applicable)

• Original Grantee to Grantee Approval Letter (if applicable)

• New Over-Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• Original Over-Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• Over-Income Grantee approval letter (if applicable)

• Caregiver Affidavit (if applicable)

Enrollment



ERSEA File Contents (3rd Year Applicants)


• 2016-17 Application for Services Form (all sections must be completed like new applicant)



• Age Documentation (EHS-Pregnancy Verification if applicable)

• 2016-17 Head Start Eligibility Verification Form (3rd year students require new eligibility documentation)

• 2014-15 Head Start Eligibility Verification Form (Original)

• 2016-17 New Eligibility Documentation (Categorical or Income Documents)

• 2014-15 Original Eligibility Documentation (Categorical or Income Documents)

• New Address Verifcation Documents (2016-17)

• Original Address Verifcation Documents (2014-15)

• New Approved Interagency Enrollment Agreement (if applicable)

• Original Approved Interagency Enrollment Agreement (if applicable)

• New Grantee to Grantee Approval Letter (if applicable)

• Original Grantee to Grantee Approval Letter (if applicable)

• New Over-Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• 2016-17 Over-Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• Original Over-Income/Full Day/130% Rationale with supporting documents (if applicable)

• New Over-Income Grantee approval letter for families over state guidelines (if applicable)

• Original Over-Income Grantee approval letter for families over state guidelines (if applicable)

• New Caregiver Affidavit (if applicable)

• Original Caregiver Affidavit (if applicable)

Enrollment



A list of forms and instructions on completing the forms are found in the attachment

section of this manual and may be downloaded from www.prekkid.org.

Additional Clarification(s)

For new children enrolled in HS or EHS, the following documents must be included in

the file:

Application for Services (plus application attachment if applicable) signed by

both parent and staff.

Head Start Eligibility Verification form, signed by the director or designee.

o This form may only be printed from ChildPlus.

o The form must be signed and dated by the staff person who determined

eligibility. The staff signature date must align with the signature date on

the Application for Services page two. The supervisor or supervisor’s

designee who verified the determination of eligibility must also sign the

HSEV form.

Income-eligible documentation: Some of the most common forms to document

income include paycheck stubs, W-2 forms, written statement from employer,

unemployment document from EDD, or previous year’s income tax forms

(signed page or electronic signature verification required).

o See definition of income in the attachment section of this manual for

additional information regarding income.

o The income calculations must be completed on the Application for

Services or on the application attachment page and must reflect the

preceding 12 months or prior calendar year, whichever more accurately

reflects a family’s income.

o If the DA used current situation to determine eligibility, then all the

documentation and the rationale used in making the determination must

be kept in the file.


Enrollment




Tier 1 Monitoring


Ensure the DA is selecting children with the highest priority first.

Ensure that the DA’s eligibility points align with the DA’s selection criteria.

The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Program Enrollment Status Report #2115 to

monitor the DA’s enrollment.

The report must be used to monitor that the DA is fully enrolled at all times.

This report generates the enrollment status of participants in DA sites and

classrooms and can be used to monitor enrollment.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “Enrolled” and

“Dropped.”

For ongoing monitoring purposes, the report should be cross-referenced with the

approved Schedule I.

Enrollment



The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Turnover Report #2009 to monitor the DA’s

transfers.

The report must be used to monitor participants who transfer.

This report generates the names of participants that were transferred from class to

class.

For ongoing monitoring purposes, the report should be cross referenced with the

ChildPlus Program Enrollment Status #2115, to identify actual enrollment.



Attendance

Definitions

Average Daily Attendance

When the monthly average daily attendance rate in a center-based EHS or HS program

falls below 85 percent, a program must analyze the causes of absenteeism. The analysis

must include a study of the pattern absences for each child, including the reasons for

absences as well as the number of absences that occur on consecutive days [1305.8 (a)].

Absences

Absences are the days an enrolled child does not attend class.

Consecutive Absences

Absences that occur sequentially.

Chronic Absenteeism

Children in a center-based program who are absent four or more days in a given month.

Requirements

Absences

The DA must, on a daily basis, document attendance and the follow-up conducted on

absences in the ChildPlus Attendance Module. DA staff must provide supportive

services as appropriate and conduct ongoing follow-up to assist the family in building

good attendance habits for the child.

If the DA is unable to contact the parent(s) or guardian(s) and the parent(s) or

guardian(s) did not notify the DA about the child’s absence, then absence must be

considered unexcused.

o For children who do not attend the first day of class or receive the first

home visit:

DA staff must follow up immediately to determine reason for

absence or missed home visit.

For center-based programs: After three consecutive unexcused

absences and unsuccessful attempts to contact the family, the DA

must abandon the child’s application on the fourth day.

Attendance



For home-based programs: After three consecutive parent canceled

home visits and/or unsuccessful attempts to contact the family, the

DA must abandon the child’s application on the fourth day.

A child whose application is abandoned equals an empty slot, and

the DA must fill the slot immediately. The 30-day rule does not

apply in this situation because the child was never identified as

enrolled (the application did not move past the accepted status).

o For children identified as enrolled (attended the first day of class and/or

received a home visit):

After three consecutive unexcused absences and unsuccessful

attempts to contact the family, the DA must drop the child on the

fourth day.

In the event that the child is dropped, the DA must fill the vacancy

with the child ranked highest on the Waitlist.

Staff must make multiple attempts to contact and establish communication with

the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) through various means, including conducting

home visits, and must document the attempts/communication in the ChildPlus

Attendance Module.

Notes in ChildPlus Attendance Module must include the date contact was

attempted, who attempted the contact, the type of contact attempted, such as a

home visit or phone call, and the result of the contact.

If the DA is able to contact the family and confirm that the child will continue in

the program, the DA must work with the family to identify a date when the staff

can expect the child to return to the classroom.

o Contacts with family must emphasize the benefits of regular attendance,

while at the same time remain sensitive to any special family

circumstances influencing attendance patterns.

o Staff must follow up immediately with the family if the child does not

attend class on the date identified to provide additional support to the

family if needed or determine if the family has decided to drop the child

from the program.

Attendance



Reasons for Absences

Absences must be classified as excused or unexcused, and the reason for the absence(s)

must be documented. Determine and document, in the ChildPlus Attendance Module, if

absence is due to one of the following excused absences, or if the family has decided to

withdraw the child from the program:

Sick

o Use Sick as a reason for the absence(s) when the child missed school due

to the child being ill

o The family services staff must, as applicable, work with the family and

determine the type of supportive services needed, given the type and

duration of illness.

Medical Exclusion

o The only time a child may be excluded from class is when a circumstance

identified in the Health Services GIM allows such an exclusion.

o The DA family and health services staff must work collaboratively to

provide the support needed to allow the child to begin class as soon as

possible.

o If four or more absences have transpired due to a medical exclusion, DA

must contact the designated LACOE Health Services Consultant to

identify other strategies to resolve the exclusion.

Best Interest

o Best interest days may not exceed 10 days in a program year and should

be used when:

A child is absent in to order to attend court-ordered visitations with

another parent or because of a mutual agreement between both

parents.

If the visitation or custody agreement follows a fixed

schedule that requires the child to attend the program only

certain days of the week, then a modified attendance should

be set up for the child in ChildPlus indicating the “no class”

days, instead of using the Best Interest days.

a child is absent in order to go on a family vacation

Attendance



Other

o Use Other to classify an absence due to an illness of the child’s parent or

guardian, death in the family, or family emergency.

Family emergency is defined as an unforeseeable circumstance and

therefore prevents the parent(s) or guardian(s) from taking the

child to the program. For example:

The car won’t start and the family does not live within

walking distance from the program

One of the utilities (lights, gas, water, power) goes out in

the house

A child has to travel outside of the country with a parent,

not for vacation purposes but to take care of other matters

that could not wait until the child is on a break (summer,

winter, or spring breaks)

Modified Attendance

Modified attendance is designed to accommodate a child with a disability in a program

according to the instructions identified in his or her IFSP or IEP or children who are

unable to attend the program on a daily basis due to custody arrangements. When

implementing a modified attendance schedule for a child, the DA must demonstrate this

type of schedule is appropriate for the child.

Children with Disabilities

The decision to modify attendance for a child with a disability is allowable only under the

following circumstances:

If the child with a disability (with an active IEP/IFSP) is enrolled in the HS/EHS

program, and it is determined by the IEP/IFSP team, based on the unique needs

and abilities of the child, that modified attendance would be beneficial to the

child, it can be considered as an option by the IEP/IFSP team.

Children with disabilities may receive special education services from the LEA

as the offer of free and appropriate public education (FAPE); any modification to

daily attendance without IEP/IFSP involvement is contrary to the requirements

of the least restrictive environment (children with disabilities must have the

opportunity to interact with, and be educated with, children who do not have

disabilities).

Attendance



The decision to modify attendance must be specific, in writing, and included in

the IEP/IFSP.

Setting Up the Attendance for Children with Disabilities - Modified Schedule

If a child has an active IEP/IFSP that requires a modified attendance schedule, and the

child can attend class only a specific number of days, absences related to disability

services must be recorded as “no class” days. If a child is absent on a day not identified

as a “no class” day, the reason for the absence must be documented in ChildPlus

following the instructions identified under the Absences section of this manual.

Entering Attendance in ChildPlus for Children with Disabilities - Modified Schedule

If using entry express attendance, select the option labeled “no class” for the days

identified in the IEP/IFSP as days the child will not be in class. Do not leave the option

blank (--) because this will result in inaccurate ADA and a possible non-compliance.

Please use the following settings when running attendance report #2305:

Head Start: Select “P” only for the DA attendance code

State Programs: Select “P” and “E” for the DA attendance code

Children with Custody Arrangements

The DA must evaluate the circumstances facing each child with a custody arrangement

that may require a modified attendance schedule prior to enrolling the child. In order to

benefit from the EHS or HS program, the child must be present to receive the services.

However, in some circumstances, in order to comply with a custody arrangement, a child

may need to not attend a program. Custody arrangements, whether formal or informal,

must follow a fixed schedule in order for the DA to identify the “no class” days of the

child and for staff to be prepared to serve the child when in attendance. When the custody

arrangement requires the child to miss more than one or two days per month, the DA

must evaluate if center-based services are the best option for the child or if the child

would be better served in another program option or program.

Attendance



If the DA determines the child would be best served in an EHS or HS center-based

program option, and the child will not attend class more than two days per month, then

the DA must contact their designated ERSEA monitor at LACOE to request approval

prior to enrolling the child. According to OHS-PC-1-074, “Programs should not enroll

children who will miss half of the Head Start year unless the program can demonstrate

that the child has such special needs that the program believes a ‘half time’ enrollment

would still be an appropriate placement. Such a proposed placement should be discussed

with your Regional Office and should be consistent with your program’s selection

criteria.”

Terminated Children

When a child is terminated (dropped) from a program, the DA must follow its procedures

to notify the family in writing at the last known address.

For reporting purposes, the child is included in the current enrollment numbers only until

the vacancy is filled or for 30 calendar days, whichever comes first. If a vacancy remains

unfilled for more than 30 days, the DA will be reported as under-enrolled.

The slot is considered vacant the day a drop occurs. The dropped date entered in

ChildPlus must align with the date documented in the attendance and the

participant’s sign-in sheet.

A participant may fill the vacant slot the day following the drop. The drop date

must be entered into the ChildPlus system first and then the highest ranked

participant from the Waitlist may fill the slot.

If the vacancy is filled in the same month that the drop occurred, the days of

attendance for the new enrollee should be counted and included in the monthly

report.

Average Daily Attendance

The DA must maintain an average daily attendance (ADA) of at least 85 percent in all

center-based EHS and HS programs. An Analysis of Absenteeism must be submitted to

LACOE by the 7th calendar day of the month and include:

A study of the pattern of absences for each child identifying:

o the reasons for the absences

o the number of absences that occur on consecutive days

o a plan of action addressing chronic absenteeism

Attendance



An analysis of the children’s absences per class and center, identifying trends and

strategies delegate will implement to improve ADA

Information regarding improvements the DA has identified from implementing a

plan of action to improve ADA

Information regarding how often the DA’s ADA has fallen below 85 percent

The date the ADA and enrollment status was reported to the Policy Committee

and Board

o The DA must, on a monthly basis, provide the Policy Committee and

Board information on the status of ADA and enrollment

Home Visits

Center-Based and Family Child Care Programs

Head Start grantees must develop and implement a system that actively encourages

parents to participate in two home visits annually for each child enrolled in a center-

based program option [1306.32 (b)(8)].

Home-Based Programs

There is no ADA requirement for home-based programs; however, home visits are

tracked in ChildPlus.

The DA must abandon a family in ChildPlus if the parent indicates the family is

no longer interested in the home-based program before the first home visit.

If DA staff has scheduled a home visit and the parent is not home at the time of

the visit, the DA must determine if the parent intends to participate in the home-

based program.

If DA staff is unsuccessful in contacting the family, and no response is received

by the next scheduled home visit or within a week, the applicant must be

abandoned in ChildPlus.

The slot must be filled with the next child on the Waitlist

Home Visits and Socializations

Home visits and group socializations are required as outlined in the Performance

Standards [1306.33(1)(2)].

Head Start: 32 Home Visits – 16 Group Socializations

Attendance



Early Head Start: 48 Home Visits – 24 Group Socializations

The DA is required to establish its own procedures for assuring that home visits are being

conducted on a regular basis. HS and EHS are still required to meet the minimum visits

and socializations prescribed by HS regulations. If families (or staff) are not participating

in visits or socializations as intended, steps must be taken to determine why not and

action must be taken to remedy the problem.

If a family demonstrates a consistent pattern of cancelled or missed appointments (three

home visits), the DA needs to determine if the home-based model is the appropriate

choice for that family. The DA must identify and help remove the barriers that prevent

the family from fully participating in the program or find another program option that

better meets the family’s needs. The DA should follow up with the same protocols in

assisting the families with chronic absenteeism as it does with center-based slots.

Make-Up Days

When a DA has to close a center/classroom and send children home because of an

unforeseen emergency, the school day does not have to be made up. The DA must have a

plan in place for services to continue the following day; if not, the classes must be made

up in order to meet the minimum contracted days of operation.

The DA must notify LACOE when an emergency occurs. If an emergency occurs and

children are not on site, then that day or days must be made up.


Tier 1 Monitoring


Ensure the DA is entering children’s attendance as described in its ERSEA plan.

Ensure the DA is monitoring the DA’s ADA and analyzing consecutive absences.

The DA is required to use the ChildPlus Monthly Attendance Report #2305 to monitor

daily attendance.

The report must be used to monitor that the attendance is entered as described in

its ERSEA plan.


“Dropped.”

For ongoing monitoring purposes, the report should be cross-referenced with the

sign-in and -out sheets at the sites.

Attendance



At a minimum, the DA must monitor ADA on a monthly basis using the ChildPlus

Average Daily Attendance Report #2301. The information in the report is used to:

identify the ADA for each child, classroom, and center.

determine if the DA’s plan improved its ability to meet or exceed the 85 percent

target.

identify if there was an improvement on the attendance of a specific child and/or

group.


“Dropped” and “Drop/Wait.”

Attendance



The DA must use the ChildPlus Consecutive Absences Report #2330 to identify how

many children have been absent four or more days. The following are the requirements

for monitoring consecutive absences:

By setting the correct parameters for the ChildPlus Consecutive Absences

Report #2330, the DA is able to identify children with consecutive absences for a

given month, specific time period, program year, or year to date.

At a minimum on a weekly basis, DA staff must print the ChildPlus Consecutive

Absences Report #2330 to identify children who have been absent four or more

days.

DA staff must use the report to identify that follow-up is being conducted and that

appropriate support is being provided to families with chronic absenteeism to

ensure the child returns to the classroom.

The report must be filtered to identify children with the status of “Enrolled.”

Attendance

