INFORMATION MEMORANDUM [See Attachment at the bottom]

TO: All Head Start and Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Improving Head Start Collaboration with Programs Funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)

INFORMATION:

Many Head Start programs are working in partnership with other child care programs to expand full-day, full-year Head Start services. In some communities, an obstacle to this collaboration is the differing periods of time families are eligible for various programs. While a child's eligibility lasts one or more years in Head Start, in programs funded through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) the period of eligibility is often different. Thus children may lose their eligibility for CCDBG-supported services during the course of their time in Head Start.

A recent memorandum from the Child Care Bureau to the State-designated Lead Agencies that administer the CCDBG is a big step forward towards providing better continuity of care. It provides the framework for the Lead Agencies to establish CCDBG eligibility periods that are consistent with the eligibility periods for children in Head Start. A copy of this memorandum, ACYF-PIQ-CC-99-02, dated February 8, 1999, is attached.

Developing consistent eligibility periods among difference programs is very important, as it can decrease disruptions in the delivery of needed services to children and families. We encourage you to read the attached memorandum, talk with childcare administrators, and engage in strategic planning that can improve collaboration and the continuity of care in your community.

/S/Douglas Klafehn (for)
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau

Attachment:
Child Care and Development Fund Eligibility