Home Base Education

POLICY:

NOCAC Head Start/Home Based will operate the Home-Based option as outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards.

PROCEDURES:

1. NOCAC Head Start/Home Based will plan home visits jointly with parents and reflect the critical role of parents in the early learning and development of their children. The home visitor is able to effectively communicate with the parent, directly or through an interpreter by;
   1. Asking the parent what days of the week and time of day will work best for their schedule.
   2. Providing opportunities for the parent to facilitate the agreed upon education activity with their child. The home visitor will offer support by providing verbal or hands-on modeling.
   3. Home visitors will utilize an interpreter when necessary. (Dual Language Learners Policy & Procedure)
2. The NOCAC Home visitor will suggest educational activities to the parents that support the child’s current development by using:
   1. The ESI-R (Head Start)
   2. The DECA (Head Start/Early Head Start)
   3. ASQ (Early Head Start)
   4. ChildPlus DRDP observations and assessments
   5. Home Based Curriculum – Growing Great Kids
3. The NOCAC Home Visitor will manage the home base caseload to ensure that the parents are available to fully participate in the home visit.
4. The NOCAC Home Visitor will manage the home-based caseload to ensure that each child receives the appropriate amount of educational services with the parents.
5. The NOCAC HS/HB option ensures all home visits focus on promoting high-quality early learning experiences in the home and growth towards goals described in the Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) and will use goals and curriculum objectives to plan home visit activities.  Home Visitors will compare participant development to the DRDP to ensure the participant is on track per his or her development age.  Such standards describe the concepts and skills children develop and learn along the developmental continuum from birth to kindergarten entry.  Home Visit activities will be planned as follows:
   1. The Home Visitor will plan age and developmentally appropriate structured child-focused learning experiences utilizing the home-based curriculum (Growing Great Kids).
   2. The Home Visitor and parents will jointly create strategies and activities  that support the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, language, literacy, and physical development.
   3. The Home Visitor and parents will together plan strategies and activities that promote the home as a learning environment that is safe, nurturing, responsive, language and communication rich.
   4. The planned strategies and activities created by the Home Visitor and parents will be researched-based for children, who are dual language learners, which recognize bilingualism and literacy as strengths, and focus on both English Language acquisition and the development of the family’s home language.
6. The NOCAC Home Visitor will follow up with the family in-between home visits to discuss learning experiences provided in the home, address concerns, and inform on strategies that promote progress towards School Readiness Goals.  This will be done via phone call, email, or social media. Followup will be documented in Child Plus by the Home Visitor.

Forms and Additional Guidance: