POLICY:

NOCAC Head Start will establish ongoing collaborative relationships and partnerships with community organizations such as establishing joint agreements, procedures, or contracts and arranging for onsite delivery of services as appropriate to facilitate access to community services that are responsive to children and family needs and family partnership goals, and community needs and resources, as determined by the community assessment.

PROCEDURES:

1. NOCAC Head Start community partnerships include:
   1. Health care providers
   2. Child and adult mental health professionals
   3. Medicaid managed care networks
   4. Dentists and other health professionals
   5. Nutritional service providers
   6. Substance abuse treatment providers
   7. Individuals and agencies that provide services to children with disabilities and their families, elementary schools, state preschool providers, and providers of child care services
   8. Family preservation and support services and child protective services and any other agency to which child abuse must be reported under state or tribal law;
   9. Educational and cultural institutions
   10. Public Assistance programs
   11. Housing assistance agencies and providers of support for children and families experiencing homelessness, including the local educational agency liaison designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.)
   12. Domestic violence prevention and support providers
   13. Providers who serve pregnant women, infants and toddlers.

2. NOCAC Head Start takes an active role in promoting coordinated systems of comprehensive early childhood services to low-income children and families in their community through communication, cooperation, and the sharing of information among agencies and their community partners, while protecting the privacy of child records in accordance with subpart C in the HSPPS

Forms and Additional Guidance:

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development promotes shared responsibility with parents/families for their child’s early learning and development and offers them engagement opportunities to help build their confidence.

PROCEDURES:

1. NOCAC Child Development provides activities and information for families to support parent-child relationships involving a child’s development, the importance of regular attendance and child development with language, dual language, literacy, and bi-literacy through:
   1. Family Orientation/Open House
   2. Home Visits (Teachers and Family Advocates)
   3. Parent-Teacher Conferences
   4. Community Events
   5. Reading is FUNdemental Week
   6. Field Trips
   7. Classroom Activities
   8. Family Interest Surveys
   9. In-Kind
   10. Agency and classroom newsletters
   11. Assessment and identification of strengths
   12. Volunteering
   13. Bag Tags
   14. Family Fun Nights
   15. “Bring Your…” to school
   16. Parent Committee Association Meetings
   17. Policy Council
   18. Family Picnics
   19. Conscious Discipline for Families
   20. and more
2. NOCAC Child Development will provide at a minimum the following training opportunities and/or information to families either directly or through referral to local community partners:
   1. Family Literacy
   2. Parenting Skills – recognize parents as their child’s primary teacher and nurturer
   3. Substance Abuse Counseling
   4. Basic Child Development
   5. Assistance in developing literacy and communication skills
   6. Health services
   7. Opportunities to share experiences with other parents (including parent-mentor relationships)
   8. The benefits of parental involvement
   9. Conscious Discipline for Families
      1. A researched based parenting curriculum.  This curriculum offers families the opportunity to practice parenting skills that promotes a child’s learning and development.
   10. Any other activity designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children.
3. NOCAC Child Development promotes the continued involvement of parents in the education of their children as they transition into kindergarten, by working with the local education agencies to provide:
   1. Parent rights and responsibilities concerning the education of their children
   2. Enable parents to
      1. Understand and work with schools in order to communicate with teachers and other school personnel.
      2. Support the school work of their children.
      3. Participate as appropriate in decisions relating to the education of their children.
4. When feasible, trainings and other materials will be provided in the family’s home language.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development collaborates with each family in a family partnership process that identifies the interest, needs, strengths, and goals of the family. NOCAC Child Development provides services and resources that support the well-being, safety, health, and economic stability, of the family.

PROCEDURES:

Center Based

1. 1. The Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) is outlined in the NOCAC Family Handbook and Calendar, which list all of the family services and partnership opportunities available to each family throughout the program year. Service opportunities include:
      1. Home Visits
      2. Emergency or crisis intervention
      3. Encouragement and support for the family’s own effort to obtain quality services they desire
      4. Develop goals and strategies that are identified as areas for personal growth
      5. Support for child development, discipline, and stress management issues
      6. Advocacy for families in dealing with agencies or individuals
      7. Information to support any training and educational needs
      8. Assistance with medical and dental needs, including securing health coverage
      9. Translation services for non-English speaking families
      10. Support for fathers and significant males in parenting roles
      11. Transportation to appointments when needed
      12. Work with the parent on your child’s attendance
   2. NOCAC Child Development focuses on the well-being of the family including but not limited to:
      1. Safety
      2. Health
      3. Economic stability
   3. That supports the participant’s learning and development, including any participant with disabilities.
   4. Fostering parental confidence and skills that promote the early learning and development of their child.
   5. The process is initiated as early in the program year as possible and continues for as long as the family participates in the program, based on parent interests, strengths, and needs.
   6. These opportunities are promoted through:
      1. Family Picnics
      2. Family Fun Nights
      3. Policy Council
      4. Parent meetings
      5. “Bring your…” weeks
      6. Newsletter
      7. Social media
      8. Socializations
      9. and other newsprint.
   7. At the Open House (or the first home visit for home based families) before classes begin each family gets an Enrollment Packet that they fill out and give to the Teacher or Home Visitor at the first Home Visit. Packets are available in English and Spanish  The following is included in the packet prior to start of classes:
      1. A Guide to Your Child’s Health pamphlet
      2. Teaching Strategies invitation
      3. Online teaching strategy informational sheet
      4. Pamphlet of oral health
      5. A schedule of area Health Department Immunizations
      6. ABC’s and 123’s About my Child
      7. Family Interest Survey
      8. Family Strengths and Needs Survey
      9. Information on the Child and Adult Care Food Program
      10. Pamphlet on NOCAC HS/EHS Transportation and Bus Monitoring
      11. Pamphlet for volunteering
      12. Pamphlet for volunteering
      13. Emergency transportation permission form
      14. Allergies, Special, Health or Medical Conditions, and Food Supplements form
      15. Enrollment Consent form
      16. Transportation Orientation Information form
      17. Dental History, Diet History, and Health History form
      18. Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers *DECA-P2) form
      19. Child and Adult Care Food Program Enrollment form
          1. Packets that are given to families after the start of classes also include:
             1. Health Record Form and Oral Health Form (mailed in June to children who are accepted prior to classes beginning)
             2. Enrollment and Health Information form and Pick up list Authorization List form (mailed in August to children who are accepted prior to classes beginning)
   8. Family Progress Notes (FPN)
      1. The Family Advocate (FA) and Teacher and/or the Home Visitor meet in early October for their first FPN meeting at the beginning of the program year and ongoing bimonthly or as needed.
      2. FPN will also be completed in October, December, February, and April or as deemed necessary by the FA and/or teacher or home visitor.
      3. FPN are documented in Childplus by the Family Advocate and reviewed by the Social Service Manager.
   9. Family Advocate Caseload
      1. Family Advocate’s case load is determined by:
         1. The first FPN
         2. Selection criteria from the original application
         3. Family strengths and needs survey
         4. Observations from:
            1. the initial application
            2. the first home visit with the teacher
      2. Using guidance from above the FA chooses 15 of the highest needs families to be on their caseload.
      3. A family on the FA’s caseload will receive the following services:
         1. in depth case management and
         2. three home assessments, Family Partnership Agreement (FPA).
            1. one early in the program year based on the FPA the family along with the FA will complete the Family Goals, Strengths and Support form.
            2. one at the end of the program year in order to measure gains the family has made as a result of being in the NOCAC HS/EHS program.
      4. As family dynamics change so may the FA caseload for reasons such as:
         1. A family who was in crisis in the beginning of the year may have reached their goals and are no longer in need of case management services from FA.
         2. A family may choose to no longer be on the FA caseload.
         3. A family who seemed stable in the beginning of the year may experience a crisis later on in the year and need to receive case management services and be put on the FA’s caseload.
      5. Family Advocates create partnerships with other social service agencies that could possibly support the family either in collaboration with or as not to duplicate services.

Home Based

The Home Based families receive all of the above opportunities.  The only different between the family services center based families and home based families receive are:

1. Families receiving home visits through the home based program do not complete the FPA as their GGK curriculums family partnership processes go above those of the FPA.
2. The Home Based Curriculum GGK family partnership services far exceeds that of what the FPA process provides.
   1. Therefore the FPA is not required for any home based family.
   2. Home Visitors will continue to use and document all the family partnership efforts on their curriculums documentation.
3. If there is a family with extremely high needs the Home Visitor will contact the FA to have that family put on the FAs case load so that FA can work with that family as well to help them make gains and follow up with goals.
4. In addition to the family partnership services offered to all families as described in 1302.52, will engage enrolled pregnant women and other relevant family members to specifically focus on factors that influence prenatal and postpartum maternal and infant health.
   1. Home Based families will also be engaged in discussion about program options, plans for their infants transition into the program, enrollment and be supported during this process whenever possible.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development will ensure that any family whose primary language is not English will receive referrals, materials, and program information in their primary language.  NOCAC Child Development will provide an interpreter at no cost to the family.

PROCEDURES:

1. The Family Advocate will determine the family’s primary language at the initial application intake.
2. NOCAC Child Development will provide support to Spanish speaking families in the following ways:
   1. Materials in Spanish
   2. Program information in Spanish
   3. Qualified interpreters at no charge to the family
   4. Referrals to learn English if wanted
   5. Support is not limited to the above list
3. NOCAC Child Development will provide as much support to families whose primary language is not English or Spanish as possible including providing an interpreter at no cost to the family and using online translation resources.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

POLICY:

NOCAC Head Start provides parents and community members with opportunities to participate in the program as volunteers.

PROCEDURES:

1. 1. NOCAC Child Development Staff will recruit and maintain active volunteers.
      1. Volunteers can be but are not limited to:
         1. Parents, guardians, caregivers,
         2. Family members,
         3. Retirees,
         4. Students (over the age of 18), and
         5. Members of the community
   2. NOCAC Child Development Staff ensures that children are never left alone with volunteers.
   3. Volunteers do not have access to any participants and families files.
   4. NOCAC Child Development Teacher or Home Visitor will go over the Volunteer section of either the NOCAC Head Start Family Handbook and Calendar or NOCAC Early Head Start Family Handbook and Calendar with families during the first home visit.
   5. NOCAC Child Development Staff will address the importance of volunteering to all of the NOCAC Child Development Program.
   6. Volunteers are required to review and sign the following NOCAC forms with a NOCAC Child Development Staff:
      1. NOCAC Confidentiality Policy
      2. NOCAC Code of Conduct.  This form will be signed by both the volunteer and the NOCAC Child Development Staff member.
   7. The NOCAC Child Development Center Manager for Head Start or HB Manager for Early Head Start will provide orientation to all volunteers.
   8. All volunteers will sign the Volunteer Sign In and Out Sheet at the NOCAC Head Start Center they are volunteering at.
   9. All Volunteer Sign In Sheets will be turned in immediately upon completion to the Data Systems Specialist at the Central Office in order to track the non-Federal/In-Kinds funds of the NOCAC Child Development Program.
   10. Classroom Volunteers are encouraged to look at the classroom’s daily schedule and feel free to ask questions.
   11. Volunteer Identification Badges:
       1. Volunteer Identification Badges are to be in all classrooms.
       2. Volunteers are required to wear Volunteer Identification Badges while they are volunteering in the classroom.
       3. NOCAC Staff will contact the Family and Community Engagement Manager if their classroom is in need of new Volunteer Badges.
       4. Family and Community Engagement Manager will then make sure the Volunteer Badges are provided to the classroom in need.
   12. Volunteers are expected to model appropriate behavior while in the classroom, and the NOCAC Head Start Center or the socialization location.
       1. NOCAC Child Development Staff will also model appropriate behavior as usual.
   13. Volunteers are considered an “employee” (per Ohio Department of Job and Family Services/ODJFS) if they meet the following criteria:
       1. Received compensation for duties performed.
       2. Has assigned work hours or duties.
       3. Must have the following on file:
          1. Completed physical,
          2. Statement of Nonconviction for Child Care
          3. BCI & FBI background checks, which can be done at the NOCAC Central Office located at 1933 East Second St, Defiance, OH.
       4. Volunteers are considered a “child care staff member” per ODJFS if the volunteer is an adult employed by a child care center and is responsible for the care and supervision of children.  The following must be kept on file before the first day of volunteering:
          1. Completed physical.
          2. Statement of Nonconviction or Child Care.
          3. BCI & FBI background checks, which can be done at the NOCAC Central Office located at 1933 East Second St, Defiance, OH.
          4. Verification of their High School Diploma.
          5. The volunteer must have ODJFS prescribed one-hours child abuse overview within 30 days of hire.  Training is valid for two years.  ODJFS online orientation completed within 30 days of hire and complete a minimum of six clock hours of annual training.
   14. NOCAC Child Development Staff as well as any NOCAC employee will treat all volunteers with respect at all times.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

• NOCAC HS Family Handbook and Calendar
• NOCAC EHS Family Handbook and Calendar
• Volunteer Sign In and Out Sheet

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development does not allow siblings in the classroom for the safety and well-being of the participants and the staff.  Exceptions are explained in the procedures of this policy.

PROCEDURES:

A NOCAC Head Start participant’s sibling may be in the classroom if:

• there is a special occasion such as Bring mom/dad to school week or
• a NOCAC Child Development Staff gives prior consent.

Parents must provide direct supervision of the sibling.

Siblings are expected to follow and obey all school rules and procedures.

Forms and Additional Guidance: