INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Performance Standards' Record-keeping Requirements

INFORMATION: Attached is a draft program instruction that we are proposing to issue to Head Start grantee and delegate agencies which describes the record-keeping requirements for the Head Start Performance Standards. These requirements are not included in the revised Performance Standards which take effect on January 1, 1998.

Records and examples of each record that must be maintained by Head Start grantee and delegate agencies include: (1) child and family records such as emergency contact information; (2) child records such as attendance records; 3) family records such as family conference documentation; and 4) program records such as staff personnel files. These records must be kept in order to administer quality programs in an organized manner, provide evidence of compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, and meet State and local law requirements. These records must be retained for three years.

Recently we published in the Federal Register a notice of the expected information collection activity resulting from these record-keeping requirements. This notice appeared in the Federal Register on April 30, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 83). In that notice it was estimated that the average annual burden hours for the various types of records for each grantee was:

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting through the April 30, 1997 Federal Register notice public comments on the information collection aspects of the record-keeping requirements for the Head Start Performance Standards. The requirements are described in the attached Program Instruction which we plan to issue in final following receipt and review of public comments on the information collection activity. Comments on the information collection activity are to be forwarded by June 29, 1997 to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Information Services, Division of Information Resource Management Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

You may send any comments related to the Program Instruction to: Head Start Bureau, P.O. Box 1182, Washington, D.C. 20013, Attn: Sherri Ash. Comments are to be forwarded by July 1, 1997.

/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau