Early Head Start and Head Start program design varies by community. Each agency conducts an in-depth Community Assessment every three years, with annual updates, and then bases its program design on the needs, strengths, and resources of the local community.
When assigning children to a particular program option, Head Start grantees that operate more than one program option must consider such factors as the child's age, developmental level, disabilities, health or learning problems, previous preschool experiences and family situation. Grantees must also consider parents' concerns and wishes prior to making final assignments.
Grantees may choose to implement one or more than one of three program options: a center-based option, a home-based program option or a combination program option. The program option chosen must meet the needs of the children and families as indicated by the community needs assessment conducted by the grantee. The following is a description of each option:
Center Based Option
- Four or five days per week or some
combination of four and five days per week
- A minimum of three and one-half to a
maximum of six hours per day
- Programs that operate for four days per
week must provide at least 128 days per year of planned class
operations
- Programs that operate for five days per
week must provide at least 160 days per year of planned class
operations
- A minimum of 32 weeks of scheduled days
of class operations over an eight or nine month period
- Grantees operating migrant programs are
not subject to the requirement for a minimum number of planned
days
- Full day programs operate more than six
hours per day for 12 months
- Double sessions operates a morning session and afternoon session
Home-Based Program Option
- Provide one home visit per week per
family (a minimum of 32 home visits per year) lasting for a
minimum of 1 and \1/2\ hours each.
- Provide, at a minimum, two group socialization activities per month for each child (a minimum of 16 group socialization activities each year).
Combination Program Option
- At a minimum, equivalent to the services
provided through the center-based program option or the home-based
program option.
- Combination programs must provide these services over a period of 8 to 12 months
Other Types of Options
With the expansion of full day/full year services, many more agencies are providing services through child care collaborations and family child care homes.
Child Care Collaboration
Head Start and Early Head Start programs are encouraged to contract with child care centers or networks of family child care providers to serve Head Start-eligible children in the full-day, full-year settings of these centers and networks.
Family Child Care Homes
While many Head Start families' needs for child care may best be met by a center-based program option, other families may benefit from other approaches. Many families believe their children will benefit from a home-like setting and Head Start agencies have found that family child care is a suitable arrangement for such families when they are working or are in training, or when they need care for more than one child.
Local Options
In addition to the center-based, home-based and combination program options defined above, the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) retains the right to fund alternative program variations to meet the unique needs of communities or to demonstrate or test alternative approaches for providing Head Start services.
Source:
45
CFR 1306
45
CFR 1305
