THE MISSION HEAD START of Greater Dallas provides

THE MISSION: HEAD START of Greater Dallas provides children with the foundation of skills and knowledge they need to be successful in school and life and fosters self-reliant families and communities.

FAMILY ADVOCATE OVERVIEW

Community HEAD START Family CHILD

Eligibility ØHEAD START – Children three to five years old. Ø EARLY HEAD START – Pregnant moms and children six weeks to three years old (zero to three). Ø Families meeting the income guidelines.

Recruitment ØCommunity agencies; Øagencies serving children with disabilities; Øhospitals and churches; ØSchools (Kindergarten Round. Up); Øradio, TV, newspaper, internet; & Øcommunity assessment.

Selection u 99 point screening system that prioritizes families for enrollment. u At-risk families with: Ø domestic violence issues; Ø child abuse issues; Ø mental health issues; Ø single parent families; Ø families with children with disabilities; Ø families who do not speak English; Ø children who are four; and Ø low-income families.

2006 Income Guidelines 1 9, 800 2 13, 200 3 16, 600 4 20, 000 5 23, 400 6 26, 800 7 30, 200 8 33, 600

Enrollment ØEnroll children throughout the year to meet and maintain center’s funded enrollment. ØVacancies are filled as soon as possible and no later than 30 days after vacancies occur.

Folder Review Ø Center team reviews database forms for completeness. Ø Family advocates note missing data for follow-up & identify families that need immediate services. Ø Center team sets up enrolled children’s folders.

Re-enrollment ØChildren who need Head Start for a second year pre-enroll. ØFamilies update information. ØInformation is shared with families to maintain children’s academic progress and achieve family goals.

Attendance ØMaintain 85% attendance. ØFamily advocates contact family after child has been out three consecutive days with a call, home visit or correspondence.

Family Partnerships Ø Home visits are made by Family Advocates to assess family strengths and needs. Ø Partner with families to set goals. Ø Refer families to in-house & community resources. Ø Chart each family’s progress toward self-reliance and follow up as needed to document outcomes.

FAMILY ADVOCATE ØIntensive case management. ØParent support groups. ØParent education. ØCommunity partnership.

Community Development HEAD START of Greater Dallas, Inc. ’s nonfederal share is 20% of its grant each year. The nonfederal share for this year is over $8, 000. The basic rule of thumb for achieving the nonfederal goal is to get goods and services donated in -kind before any federal money is

Volunteers Ø We use: q parent and community volunteers, q community service volunteers, and q student interns. Ø Volunteers must be at least 15 years old. Ø Nonprofessional volunteers volunteer at a rate of $11. 14 per hour. Ø Professional volunteers volunteer at their professional rate.

Ø Board members volunteer at a rate of $100 per hour. Ø Policy council members volunteer at a rate of $50 per hour. Ø Advisory committee members volunteer at a rate of $25 - $50 per hour.

Donated Goods ØOffice furniture; Øcenter furniture; Øcomputer equipment; Øcomputer software.

Space Center space; Ø space for training; Ø meeting space; and Ø donated land. Ø

Mileage Ø Ø Ø Parent mileage for dropping off and picking up their children at the center. Mileage for board, policy council and advisory committee members. Mileage for volunteers performing their volunteer assignment.

Consultant/Contract Services Ø Medical/dental discounts. Ø Special services discounts.

Other Nonfederal Ø Grants; vendor discounts; Ø collaborations. Ø

THE END