1. PROGRAM GOVERNANCES Laurie Gan Leiner, MPA Director, Head Start
Capital Area Community Action Agency, Inc.

2. Community Action Board of Directors Governance Structure
HS Policy Council
Head Start
Director
Board of Directors
Governing Body

3. Governing Body Composition
The governing body shall be composed of:
One member must have a background and expertise in fiscal management or accounting.
One member must have a background and expertise in early childhood education and development.
One member must be a licensed attorney familiar with issues that come before the governing body

4. Governing Body Composition Con’t
Board members shall reflect the community they are severing and include parents of children who are currently, or were formerly, enrolled in Head Start programs;
Members are selected for their expertise in education, business administration, or community affairs.

5. Exceptions to Governing Body Composition
Exceptions to 642 (c)(1)(B)(v)(vi) Reauthorization Head Start Act:
Members of a governing body that oversee a public entity and are selected to their positions with the public entity by public election or political appointment.
Governing body that is not able to have the expertise of an attorney, fiscal and accounting, and early childhood and development may use a consultant , or an individual with relevant expertise, with the qualifications to work directly with the governing body.

6. Governing Body Responsibilities
Assume legal and fiscal responsibilities for administering and overseeing all programs under its authority, including the safeguarding of Federal funds;
Adopt practices that assure active, independent, and informed governance of the corporation, including the resolution of internal disputes and the facilitation of meaningful consultation and collaboration about decisions of the Board of Directors and Policy Council, and fully participate in the development, planning, and evaluation of the Head Start program;

7. Governing Responsibilities Con’t
Ensure compliance with applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations; and
Select delegate agencies and their service area as appropriate;
Establish procedures and criteria for recruitment, selection and enrollment of children;
Review applications for Head Start funding and amendments to such application;
Establish procedures and guidelines for accessing and collecting accurate and regular information for use by the Board of Directors and the Policy Council about program planning, policies and Head Start agency operation;

8. Governing Responsibilities Con’t
Approve personnel policies and procedures, including those regarding the hiring, evaluation, compensation and termination of the Executive Director, Head Start Director, Director of Human Resources, Chief Financial Officer; and any other person in an equivalent position within the agency;
Approve financial management, accounting, and reporting policies and compliance with laws and regulations relating to financial statements, including the approval of all major financial expenditures of the agency;
annual approval of the agency’s operating budget;
selection of independent financial auditors who shall report all critical accounting policies and practices to the Board of Directors; and
monitoring the corporation’s actions to correct any audit findings and of other action necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing financial statement and accounting practices;

9. Governing Responsibilities
Review results from monitoring conducted under section 641c of the Head Start Act, including appropriate follow up activities;
Establish, adopt and periodically update written standards of conduct that establish standards and formal procedures for disclosing, addressing and resolving any conflicts of interest or appearance of conflicts of interest by Directors, Officers and employees of the corporation, and consultants and agents who provide services or furnish goods to the corporation; and complaints, including investigations, as appropriate;
Develop procedures for how members of the Policy Council are selected; and
As practicable and appropriate establish advisory committees to oversee key responsibilities related to Head Start program governance and improvement.

10. POLICY COUNCIL HS Policy Council Head Start Director
Board of Directors
Governing Body

11. Why is there a Policy Council?
Policy Council is responsible for making decisions that guide and direct the Head Start Program. They work in partnership with the Governing Body to govern the programs.

12. Policy Council/Committee Composition
The Policy Council shall be elected by the parents of children who are currently enrolled in the Head Start/Early Head Start Program. 51% must be parents of current Head Start Children.
posed of:
Parents of children who are currently enrolled in the program, who shall constitute a majority of the member of the policy council; and
Members at large of the community served by the Head Start/Early Head Start Program, who may include parents of children who were formerly enrolled in the Head Start/Early Head Start
Member can only be on the policy council for three 1-year terms in a lifetime (b)(5)

13. Policy Council/Committee Responsibilities
Board of Directors
Parent
Committee
The policy council shall approve and submit to the governing body decisions about program operation activities 642(2)(D) Reauthorization Head Start Act

14. Procedures for Program Planning , Philosophy, and Long and Short term Goals
Approve procedures for program planning to include the program’s philosophy and long- and short-range goals and objectives. 45CFR (a) & 45 CFR
Participate in discussion concerning program vision
Establish subcommittees as needed to work with staff
Analyze plans, goals and objectives
Obtain recommendations from Parent Committees
Provide input on relevant community issues
Review financial statements to ensure resources are available

15. Criteria for Recruitment, Selection, and Enrollment Priorities
Approve criteria for recruitment, selection and enrollment priorities in accordance with the requirements of Federal regulations. 45 CFR Part 1305 (see (d)(1)vii)
Conduct periodic reviews of the criteria for recruitment, selection and enrollment priorities
Examine how the enrollment process is working to address the needs of children and families in the community

16. Funding Applications and Amendments
Review and approve all funding applications for Head Start, including administrative services prior to the submission of the applications to the grantee.
Consider funding applications as part of an ongoing planning process
Get information on the funding request and provide input before the application and related materials are drafted

17. Annual Self Assessment
Conduct an annual self-assessment of the agency’s progress in carrying out the programmatic and fiscal intent of its grant application, including planning or other actions that may result from review of the annual audit and findings from the Federal monitoring review. 45 CFR (i)(1) and 45 CFR
Schedule reasonable time for self-assessment
Form self-assessment team that includes parents and representation from the community
Define measures for the self assessment process
Findings are reported to the Policy Council, Parent Committees and governing bodies
Improvement plans should be appropriate and reasonable

18. Procedures for Shared Decision-Making
Approve procedures describing how the governing body and the appropriate policy group will implement shared decision making (d)(1)(iii)
Develop written procedures for shared decision-making
Support open channels of communication to include exchange minutes of meetings and joint meetings

19. Procedures for Resolving Disputes
Jointly establish written procedures for resolving internal disputes, including impasse procedures between the governing body and the policy group (h)
Develop and formally adopt dispute resolution policies
Ensure that new Policy Council members are aware of the dispute resolution process
Seek outside assistance from community-based organizations for the negotiation or mediation of disputes that threaten to disrupt services to children and families

20. Procedures for Resolving Community Complaints
Establish and maintain procedures for hearing and working with the agency to resolve community complaints about the program.
Establish a process to respond to all community inquiries
Develop procedures that describe specific steps in the process for addressing community concerns and resolving community complaints
Make copies of procedures widely available
Conduct outreach to community agencies or individuals to solicit suggestions for improvement

21. Program Personnel Policies
Approve Program Personnel policies and changes to policies in accordance with Federal regulations, to include standards of conduct for program staff, consultants and volunteers CFR
Review personnel policies
Ensure that personnel policies are effective in securing and maintaining qualified staff who can provide the appropriate services
Modify or amend policies as appropriate
Focus personnel policy review on one particular area during any given year.

22. Hiring and Firing Head Start Director and Staff
Approve decisions to hire or terminate the Head Start (d)(1)(xi)
Review personnel policies
Ensure that personnel policies are effective in securing and maintaining qualified staff who can provide the appropriate services
Modify or amend policies as appropriate
Focus personnel policy review on one particular area during any given year.

23. Bylaws
Approve bylaws for the operation of the policy council. 642(c)(2)(D)(v) in Reauthorization Head Start Act
Participate in the revision, but not until the policy council formally changes (amends) them.
Responsible for reviewing the bylaws at least once a year to recommend changes if necessary.

24. Budget
Approve budget planning for program expenditures, including policies for reimbursement and participation in policy council activities. 642(c)(2)(D)(iv) Reauthorization Head Start Act
Review and receive monthly budget updates on grant expenditures
Follow up on reimbursements
Manage and sign off on policy council budget expenditures

25. Head Start Director’s Role in Supporting Governance
HS Policy Council
Head Start/
Early Head Start
Director
Board of Directors
Executive Director

26. Systemic Support of Program Governance
Dynamic and cohesive management systems support continuous improvement and foster commitment to providing the highest level of services to children and families in accordance with legislation, regulations, and policies.
Systems:
Planning
Communication
Record keeping and Reporting
Monitoring/Self Assessment
Human Resources
Fiscal
ERSEA

27. Developing a Formal System of Shared Governance
Key factors of a shared governance system:
Clearly written procedures
Procedures to resolve internal disputes
Procedures for hearing and resolving community complaints
Staff driving the partnership
Managing and monitoring the governance portion of the standards

28. Reporting
Grantee agencies must ensure that the following information is provided regularly to their grantee governing bodies and to members of their policy council about:
Program planning, policies, and Head Start/Early Head Start operations;
Monthly financial statements, including credit card expenditures;
Program enrollment reports, including attendance reports for children whose care is partially subsidized by another public agency;
Monthly reports of meals and snacks provided through the USDA programs ;
Financial audit;
Annual self-assessment, including any findings related to such assessment;
Communitywide strategic planning and needs assessment of the program, including any applicable updates;
Communication and guidance from the Secretary; and
Program Information Report (PIR)

29. Training
Grantee agencies are to provide appropriate training and technical assistance to the members of the governing body and policy council to ensure they understand the information their receiving; and that they can be effective at providing oversight and participating in the program.
New Members Orientation
Program Governance
Parliamentary Procedures and Meeting Rules
Self Assessment
Budget and Finance
Program Planning, Objectives , and Goal setting
Code of Conduct

30. Shared Governance Program Manual
Policy council bylaws
Performance standards
Shared governance plan
Conflict resolution (Impasse) Policy
Vision and Mission Statement
Summary of program budget
Meeting minutes from prior policy council meetings
Policy council meeting dates
Policy council members directory
Staff and program site location information

31. Required Policy & Procedures
Shared Decision Making
Conflict of Interest
Impasse Procedures

32. Shared –Decision Making
Governing Board and Policy Council share the responsibility for making and approving policies and rules for the Head Start Program.
Member are to receive a written plan that outlines the shared decision making process the Governing Board and Policy Council has agreed upon.
Board and Policy Council must approve the shared governance plan
Policy Council is included at all levels of the decision making process

33. Conflict of Interest Rules
Members of the governing body and policy council shall: 642(c)(C)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
Not have financial conflict of interest with the Head Start agency;
Not receive compensation for serving on any of the boards or for providing services to the Head Start Program;
Not be employed, nor shall members of their immediate family be employed by the Head Start Program;
Operate as an entity independent of staff employed by the programs.
The Head Start Act requires that the program have a conflict of interest policy.

34. Internal Dispute Plan “Impasse Procedures”
Governing Board and Policy Council having written procedures for how to resolve conflict or impasse for when the two groups are unable to agree on a decision regarding the program.
Resolving internal conflict in a constructive and positive manner
A required plan that outline the established steps for how to resolve any conflicts that arises between the two groups.
Governing Board and Policy Council must follow the written procedures they have established for resolving conflicts or impasses

35. Parent Committee Structure
Policy Council
Bond
Parent
Committee
Murat Hills Parent Committee
Jefferson County Parent Committee
South City
Louise B. Royal
Bainbridge Road Parent Committee
Franklin County Parent Committee
Parent Committee must be comprised of parents of current enrolled children at the particular site

36. Parent Committee Responsibilities
Advise staff in developing and implementing local program policies, activities and services
Program Policy suggestions
Volunteering and visiting Head Start site on a regular basis
Encourage to attend monthly parent center meetings

37. Parent Committee Responsibilities
Plan, conduct, and participate in informal/ formal programs and activities for parents/staff
Advise staff in developing and implementing local program policies, activities and services
Assist staff in the recruitment of children in the Head Start Program
Assist staff in developing skits/plays involving children
Assist in Field trips
Serve on volunteer committees
(e)(1)(2)(3)

38. Parent Involvement Opportunities
Participating on Committees
Parent Volunteer
Classroom
Education
Health Advisory
Special Projects
Policy Council

39. Questions & Answers