Home Visits and Parent Teacher Conferences

POLICY:

NOCAC Teachers will conduct a minimum of two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences each program year in the family’s home language or using the services of an interpreter.

PROCEDURES:

1. Home Visits and Parent-Teacher conferences are valuable in building respectful relationships with families and in developing a broad understanding of every child in the program.
2. The visits and conferences enhance adult’s knowledge and understanding of the developmental progress of their child.
3. Typically, a combination of two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences provides sufficient opportunities for identifying appropriate educational goals and discussion of each child’s individual development and progress. More home visits/conferences may be added on an individual basis.
4. Home visits must occur in the enrolled child’s home unless the family expressly refuses such visits.
5. Parent-teacher conferences should occur at the center however the family’s needs will be taken into consideration.
6. Time options and days are scheduled to best meet the needs of individual families.
7. Home visits and Parent-teacher conferences will be planned ahead of time using the Home Visit/Parent Conference planning sheet from the Education Manager.
8. NOCAC Staff will be respectful of a family’s time and arrive on time for the home visit.
9. Home Visits must be a minimum of one hour.
10. Parent-Teacher Conferences must be a minimum of 30 minutes.
11. Home Visits and Parent-Teacher conferences need to occur at regular intervals during the program year.
    1. NOCAC Staff will follow dates in the Staff Calendar.
    2. Home Visits/Parent Teacher Conferences may not be started before the date listed in the calendar, unless prior authorization is obtained from the Education Manager.
12. When an interpreter is needed to conduct a home visit or parent/teacher conference, the teacher will go over material to be discussed with the interpreter before the conference/home visit takes place.
13. The Home Visit/Parent Teacher Conference Form is distributed as follows
    1. white copy to the Central Office,
    2. yellow copy in the file at the center, and
    3. pink copy to the parent/guardian.
14. Children who enroll after the start of the program year must be offered two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences as well. Every effort must be made to schedule all 4 appointments. The appointments will be evenly space through the remaining time left in the program calendar. If this proves not possible, staff will document the reasons for this in ChildPlus.
15. Teacher will complete a Home Visit/Parent Teacher Conference Form documenting what was discussed at the home visit, create 1 family for the child, discuss classroom routine, IEP Goals (if applicable), physical and dental dates, medical needs of the child, Family Engagement, Family Fun Nights, volunteering, family suggestions for the classroom, assessment and screening results.
16. A NOCAC Head Start Teacher will do the first home visit with the family before children start in the classroom, when feasible.
17. If there are siblings enrolled, the teacher must complete a separate form for each child.
18. Encourage family participation and good discussion.  More time will be needed at the initial home visits for families that are new to the program.
    1. NOCAC Staff should set the expectation for positive male engagement by attempting to schedule each home visit and parent-teacher conference with both mom and dad or with both primary caregivers.
    2. In joint custody/shared parenting situations, NOCAC Staff will offer a home visit or parent-teacher conference to both parents.
19. Take the time to explain and give details on the information you are going over including the Family Handbook and Calendar.
20. The progress report must be gone over in detail with explanation and examples.
21. All home visits/conferences must be at least 30 days apart.
22. If you are struggling to complete a home visit or conference, be sure to document all communication attempts with the family so it can be documented in ChildPlus if they are late or never occur.
23. First Home Visit:
    1. At the first home visit, teachers will review and complete
       1. The Enrollment Packet
          1. Enrollment Consent Form
          2. Health, Dental, Dietary History Form
          3. CACFP Enrollment Form
          4. Transportation Orientation Information
          5. Child Plus Information
       2. Complete the JFS 01234 Child Enrollment and Health Information form.
       3. Complete the Authorized Pick Up List (form T8 – Authorized Pick Up List)
       4. Family Handbook and Calendar
          1. Staff will review the entire Family Handbook and Calendar with the family
          2. Highlight the Volunteering Section
          3. Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures
          4. Communicable Illness Policy
          5. Absence Policy
       5. Parent completes the DECA
       6. ABC/123 About My Child 
    2. At the second home visit, teachers will review or complete
       1. A Home Visit/Parent Teacher Conference Form
          1. Discuss School Readiness Goals
          2. Child Plus Report
          3. Newsletter/Parent Event/Family Fun Night
          4. Kindergarten Transition activity (if applicable).  Release of Information (ROI) for kindergarten release.
          5. A mid-year E-DECA
          6. Teacher will complete an engagement activity with the participant and/or family.
24. New enrollees (mid year):
    1. New enrollees must have an orientation at the center within 3 days of the enrollment date to complete paperwork and see the classroom/facility (if families are able to attend).
    2. During the onsite orientation, the teacher will schedule an initial home visit with the family to occur one week from the email from the Family and Community Engagement Team. The purpose of this visit is to complete additional paperwork, discuss resources and information, review the Family Handbook and complete the initial home visit form.
    3. The first conference will be done 30 days after the initial home visit (approximately 30 days based on the home visit/conference schedule).  The child will fall into the set schedule after this.  Contact the Education Manager for further guidance.
25. Classroom Transfers:
    1. All children that transfer from another class must have a transfer orientation within 3 days of the transfer date.
    2. The family will be invited to come to the school to meet the new teacher, see the classroom/center, update paperwork, and complete the transfer home visit form.
       1. If the parent/guardian is not able to come to the school, this orientation still must occur within 3 days but can be completed in their home if needed.
    3. If a child is transferring during a home visit/conference time, both the new and previous teacher must attend.
       1. If both teachers cannot attend together, they will each have to attend separately to ensure the new information is given and previous progress is discussed.
       2. The previous teacher may discuss the child’s progress over the phone if unable to meet with the family due to class schedule or distance.  In this case, the new teacher will have the parent/guardian sign the progress report and note that the previous teacher discussed it with them over the phone and state the reason why.  To discuss a progress report over the phone, approval must be given by the Education Manager.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

• Home Visit/Parent Teacher Conference Form
• Enrollment Consent Form
• Health, Dental, Dietary History Form
• CACFP Enrollment Form
• Child Enrollment and Health Information form
• ABC/123 About My Child
• ABC/123 About My Child – SPANISH