Head Start Performance standards
Teachers, except those described in paragraph (b)(8) of this section, conduct at least two per program year for each family, including one before the program year begins, if feasible, to engage the parents in the child’s learning and development, except that such visits may take place at a program site or another safe location that affords privacy at the parent’s request, or if a visit to the home presents significant safety hazards for staff;
What is Home Visits?
1302.34 (7)
Medications are returned to parents: (1) daily; (2) when the parent permission period ends as documented per OAC 340:110-3- 281.4(b); (3) when the medication expires; or (4) when the child is withdrawn from the program.
What is return to parent?
the function of observing, overseeing, and guiding a child or group of children, including an awareness of, and responsibility for, the ongoing activity of each child, and being near enough to intervene when needed. The program is required to maintain this at all times the children are in our care.
What is Active Supervision?
The use of any tobacco or vaping products shall be prohibited on any and all properties owned, used or contracted for use by INCA Community Services, including but not limited to all buildings, land and vehicles owned. This includes parking lots. ● In recognition of the importance of modeling healthy behaviors, tobacco and vape usage is prohibited in any area (on-site or off-site) that is within sight of Head Start participants. ● The policy remains in force at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ● There will be no tobacco or vape use at any off property worksite-sponsored meetings or events.
What is Tobacco and Vape Free Environment?
paid adults who have responsibilities related to children and their families who are enrolled in programs.
Who are our Staff?
All programs must provide high-quality early education and child development services, including for children with disabilities, that promote children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth for later success in school. A center-based or family child care program must embed responsive and effective teacher-child interactions. A home-based program must promote secure parent-child relationships and help parents provide high-quality early learning experiences. All programs must implement a research-based curriculum, and screening and assessment procedures that support individualization and growth in the areas of development described in this and support family engagement in children’s learning and development.
What are the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
1302.30
all persons living in the same household who are supported by the child’s parent(s)’ or guardian(s)’ income; and are related to the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) by blood, marriage, or adoption; or are the child’s authorized caregiver or legally responsible party.
What is Family?
director notifies Licensing by the next Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) business day of: (A) a responsible entity change; (B) a director change; (C) a mailing address change, when different from the physical address; (D) a phone number change; (E) a program liability insurance coverage change; (F) an individual moving into the facility; (G) a known legal action, such as a Victim Protection Order, arrest, or criminal investigation or charge, involving the program, owner, responsible entity, personnel, or an individual living in the facility; (H) a known child abuse or neglect pending investigation or disposition involving the owner, responsible entity, personnel, or an individual living in the facility; (I) an unscheduled temporary or permanent program closure or relocation; (J) facility damage affecting the amount of usable square footage or compliance with requirements; (K) an incident exposing children to an imminent risk of harm, such as a child leaving the facility without personnel's knowledge or being left alone on- or off-site or in a vehicle; (L) an animal bite to an individual occurring on-site at any time or when participating in off-site program activities; (M) an accident involving transportation, unless no injuries and only minor vehicle damage occurred; (N) a child injury requiring emergency medical attention; (O) a child death occurring while in care; or (P) any disease or illness requiring prompt local or Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) notification, per (c)(1) of this subsection.
What is Next Business Day?
Punctual and regular attendance is an essential responsibility of each employee at INCA Community Services, Inc. Any tardiness or absence causes problems for fellow employees and supervisors. When an employee is absent, others must perform the work, which diminishes the smooth functioning of INCA. Employees are expected to report to work as scheduled, on time, and prepared to start work. Employees also are expected to remain at work for their entire work schedule. Late arrival, early departure or other absences from scheduled hours are disruptive and must be avoided. The purpose of this policy is to promote the efficient operation of the company and minimizes unscheduled absences.
What is the Attendance and Time Policy?
any program authorized under the Head Start Act.
What is Head Start?
Center-based child care programs must implement developmentally appropriate research-based early childhood what:
(i) Are based on scientifically valid research and have standardized training procedures and this materials to support implementation;
(ii) Are aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and, as appropriate, state early learning and development standards; and are sufficiently content-rich to promote measurable progress toward development and learning outlined in the Framework; and,
(iii) Have an organized developmental scope and sequence that include plans and materials for learning experiences based on developmental progressions and how children learn.
What is the curriculum (curricula)?
1302.32
Within 30 days of enrollment, a program must determine whether each enrolled woman has an ongoing source of continuous, accessible health care – provided by a health care professional that maintains her ongoing health record and is not primarily a source of emergency or urgent care – and, as appropriate, health insurance coverage.
What is enrolled pregnant women?
1302.80
These are: (A) a sequence of activities indicating times of day; (B) developed for each classroom; (C) followed with reasonable regularity; (D) age-appropriate; and (E) posted, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:110-3-281.1(i). (2) this must at least include: (A) alternating periods of quiet and active play; (B) indoor and outdoor play; (C) meal and snack time; (D) rest time, when applicable; and (E) transportation, when applicable
What is the Daily Classroom Schedule?
The presence of these in the workplace with the employee parent during the employee’s workday is inappropriate and is to be avoided except in emergency situations or on rare occasions. This policy is established to avoid disruptions in job duties of the employee and co-workers, reduce property liability, and help maintain the company’s professional work environment.
What is Children at Work Policy?
hours when children are scheduled to attend. Professional development, training, orientation, teacher planning, data analysis, parent-teacher conferences, home visits, classroom sanitation, and transportation do not count toward the hours of planned class operations.
What is Hours of Operation?
In collaboration with each child’s parent and with parental consent, a program must complete or obtain a current developmental screening to identify concerns regarding a child’s developmental, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, and emotional skills within 45 calendar days of when the child first attends the program or, for the home-based program option, receives a home visit. A program that operates for 90 days or less must complete or obtain a current developmental screening within 30 calendar days of when the child first attends the program.
What are Child screenings and assessments?
1302.33
24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the state agency has placement and care responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child-care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes. A child is in foster care in accordance with this definition regardless of whether the foster care facility is licensed and payments are made by the state or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made prior to the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is federal matching of any payments that are made.
What is Foster Care?
The program conducts an online search of the Restricted Registry also known as this.
What is the Joshua List?
or similar devices should remain turned off and stored in a purse, bag, coat, etc. while a staff member is clocked in.
or similar devices use is permitted only during an approved break, and never in a classroom.
What is the Cell Phone Policy?
the expectations of children's status and progress across domains of language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge, approaches to learning, physical well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development that will improve their readiness for kindergarten
What is School Readiness?
Emphasize nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security; are communication and language rich; promote critical thinking and problem-solving; social, emotional, behavioral, and language development; provide supportive feedback for learning; motivate continued effort; and support all children’s engagement in learning experiences and activities;
(ii) Focus on promoting growth in the developmental progressions described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five by aligning with and using the Framework and the curricula as described in § 1302.32 to direct planning of organized activities, schedules, lesson plans, and the implementation of high-quality early learning experiences that are responsive to and build upon each child’s individual pattern of development and learning;
(iii) Integrate child assessment data in individual and group planning; and,
(iv) Include developmentally appropriate learning experiences in language, literacy, social and emotional development, math, science, social studies, creative arts, and physical development that are focused toward achieving progress outlined in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
What is effective teaching practices?
1302.31
An Early Head Start program must implement strategies and practices to support successful these for children and their families transitioning out of Early Head Start.
What are transitions?
1302.70 Transitions from EHS to HS.
Play equipment is arranged in interest areas in classrooms with children 2 year of age or older. However, children may move the play equipment between interest areas while playing. These are required to include: (1) art; (2) blocks; (3) books and language; (4) dramatic play; and (5) manipulatives. (f) Play equipment accessibility.
What are the interest areas?
means children are supervised at all times, staff are intentional in communicating with each other in regards to the children and activities.
What is Active Supervision?
Head Start monitoring protocols are used by the Office of Head Start (OHS) to gather data and other information to assess grant recipient program operation and performance. Reviews are held for the:
What are:
2026 Head Start Monitoring Protocol