Head Start/Early Head Start Operations Manual

1 1 | P a g e Childcare Partner Head Start / early Head Start Operations Manual 2 | P a g e ABOUT THIS EASTERSEALS HEAD Start AND early HEAD Start Operations Manual .. 5 FORMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE EASTERSEALS HEAD Start WEBSITE .. 6 HEAD Start / early HEAD Start SERVICES AT-A-GLANCE .. 10 HOME-BASED SERVICES AT-A-GLANCE .. 12 EMPLOYEE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM Operations .. 15 ATTENDANCE .. 15 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IDENTIFICATION AND REPORTING PROCEDURES .. 15 DRESS AND GROOMING .. 17 FAMILY HANDBOOK .. 17 FAMILY-STYLE MEAL 18 FOOD -- OUTSIDE FOOD .. 18 PARENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS .. 18 PHONE/ ELECTRONICS USAGE .. 18 PRECAUTIONS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY .. 18 PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA .. 19 RECORD-KEEPING .. 19 VOLUNTEERISM IN HEAD Start / early HEAD Start .. 19 EMPLOYEE REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITIES HEALTH AND SAFETY .. 19 CLEANING AND SANITIZING.

2 19 DAILY HEALTH AND SAFETY CHECKLIST .. 21 DENTAL INJURIES .. 21 DIAPERING .. 22 MEDICAL EMERGENCIES .. 23 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES .. 23 FIRST AID AND FIRST AID CERTIFICATION .. 24 FIRST AID KITS INVENTORY AND 24 INCIDENT REPORTS .. 25 MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS .. 26 MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS) .. 26 REQUIRED POSTINGS .. 26 SAFETY PRACTICES .. 27 EXCLUDED ACTIVITIES .. 31 31 RESTRICTIVE FURNISHINGS .. 32 UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS .. 33 ERSEA .. 35 ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT .. 35 REQUIRED TRAINING ON ERSEA .. 35 VERIFYING INCOME .. 35 REQUIRED ERSEA DOCUMENTATION .. 36 RESIDENCE IN THE DEFINED SERVICE AREA .. 36 ACCEPTANCE .. 36 ENROLLMENT/ENTRY DATE .. 37 RE-ENROLLMENT .. 37 RECRUITMENT .. 37 ATTENDANCE .. 38 AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE .. 39 DAILY Operations .. 39 SCHEDULE OF Operations .. 39 3 | P a g e INCLEMENT WEATHER, DELAYS AND CLOSURES.

3 40 EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURES .. 40 ARRIVAL OF CHILDREN .. 40 SUPERVISION .. 41 DEPARTURE/RELEASE OF CHILDREN .. 41 FEES/LATE FEES AND TUITION .. 42 PEDESTRIAN SAFETY TRAINING .. 42 early CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND 42 SCREENING AND ONGOING CHILD ASSESSMENT .. 43 INDIVIDUALIZED TEACHING AND LEARNING .. 45 CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS AND DISPLAYS .. 48 FOOD ACTIVITIES .. 48 HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS .. 48 END OF YEAR CELEBRATION .. 49 OUTDOOR PLAY - NATURE-BASED OUTDOOR CLASSROOM .. 49 REST/NAPTIME .. 50 A CHANGE OF CLOTHES .. 50 TOILET TRAINING .. 50 VIDEO, DVD, TV, AND COMPUTERS .. 51 VIDEOTAPING OR PHOTOGRAPHING OF 51 ANIMALS IN CLASSROOM AND SOCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES .. 52 FIELD TRIPS .. 53 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES - GUIDANCE AND DISCIPLINE .. 56 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL/CONSULTATION .. 57 NUTRITION, FOOD, AND FOOD SERVICES .. 57 NUTRITION ASSESSMENT .. 57 MEALS .. 58 BREAST MILK .. 59 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM (CACFP).

4 59 SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND FOOD BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM .. 59 USDA Non-Discrimination Statement .. 60 HEALTH SERVICES .. 60 HEARING/VISION 45 DAY SCREENING .. 61 DAILY HEALTH CHECK .. 62 SICK CHILD .. 62 EXCLUSION POLICY - INFECTIOUS DISEASES .. 62 IMMUNIZATIONS .. 63 ADMINISTRATION AND STORAGE OF MEDICATION .. 63 INJECTED MEDICATIONS AND RESCUE MEDICATIONS .. 67 MEDICAL CONDITIONS - NEED TO KNOW .. 68 DENTAL HYGIENE .. 69 FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND FAMILY SERVICES .. 70 OUTCOMES AND STRATEGIES .. 70 STAFF/PARENT RELATIONSHIPS .. 71 STAFF/PARENT COMMUNICATION .. 72 COMPLIMENT AND COMPLAINT POLICY AND PROCEDURE .. 72 FAMILY PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS .. 73 HOME VISITS AND STAFF - PARENT 74 HOME VISITS FOR HOME-BASED PROGRAMS .. 74 4 | P a g e PARENT AS THE CHILD S FIRST TEACHER .. 75 TRANSITION/ORIENTATION .. 75 INTEGRATED SERVICE APPROACH AND CHILD FILE DOCUMENTATION .. 79 CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS.

5 79 PARENT REFUSAL OF SERVICES (DECLINATION) .. 81 SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES .. 82 PARENTAL RIGHTS .. 86 PROGRAM GOVERNANCE - POLICY GROUPS .. 86 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE .. 91 5 | P a g e ABOUT THIS HS/EHS Operations Manual This Manual is intended to provide Head Start staff with specific information about the operating policies and procedures for Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start . These policies and procedures are based on best practices in early childhood education programs and the following: Office of Head Start / early Head Start early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) The Head Start / early Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start / early Head Start Act (Also found on ECLKC) Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Licensing Standards It may be obtained from the Illinois state child care licensing office or http://DCFS.

6 (A copy of the current Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers must be available onsite at each licensed location) National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and early Education: Caring for Our Children, 3rd Edition (A hard copy is provided to all programs) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Academy of Pediatrics All staff should be familiar with the most recent DCFS licensing standards, the Head Start / early Head Start Act, Head Start / early Head Start Performance Standards, and the Easterseals Service Plan (on the website) and follow the most stringent guidelines. Staff at each Center are to be able to access and refer to these regulations easily and have them available for DCFS licensing monitoring when requested. Changes to this Manual : This Manual is reviewed and updated annually, as needed.

7 The Easterseals Head Start /Procedures Manual should be available to all staff. Any changes to this Manual must be noted on a dated Addendum approved by the Head Start / early Head Start Director. All employees must sign an acknowledgement page indicating that they have received a copy of, and understand the Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start Procedures. These acknowledgements must be filed in each employee s personnel file. Regular volunteers working in Easterseals partner centers (volunteering eight hours or more per week on a regular basis) must also be aware of these operating policies and procedures that staff and volunteers are required to follow. Easterseals for general purposes uses Head Start / early Head Start throughout this Manual . All policies and procedures in this Manual are applicable to all Head Start / early Head Start programs, except where noted. In this Manual , the terms teacher and teacher assistant refer to Head Start classroom teaching staff, teacher refers to early Head Start classroom teaching staff, and home visitor refers to staff in the home-based program option.

8 The following terms are used interchangeably throughout this Manual : Family, parent, parents , and guardians in recognition of the diversity of family situations in which children live and the respect Head Start / early Head Start has for those who fulfill the role of parents for the children in their lives. The information in this Manual also ties directly to the Head Start / early Head Start Service Plan. 6 | P a g e FORMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE EASTER SEALS METROPOLITAN CHICAGO Forms related to or referenced in this Manual are located on the Easterseals Head Start website page. Announcements on the COPA landing page and Easterseals Head Start webpage provide information about changes to forms and other items of interest partners, and the community. Always check the date on the form page to make sure you are accessing the most current version. Copies of the Head Start / early Head Start Performance Standards (HS/EHSPS) and Head Start / early Head Start Act can be viewed on, or downloaded from, the ECLKC.

9 Copies of the Easterseals Service Plan can be viewed on the Easterseals Webpage. Throughout this Operations Manual are references to the Head Start / early Head Start Service Plan numbers. These numbers are from 45 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) and are written like this example: HS/EHSPS 1302 Subpart C 7 | P a g e WELCOME ALL HEAD Start AND early HEAD Start EMPLOYEES! Head Start / early Head Start Overview PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS HS/EHSPS ; Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start , through the employment of competent and qualified staff, volunteers, and effective community partnerships, is committed to providing a comprehensive child development program for expectant families, children birth to five years of age, and their families. This is accomplished through the provision of comprehensive educational, nutritional, health, social, and other services determined necessary by family needs assessment.

10 The program is designed to support and strengthen the parents role as the primary educator of their child as families move towards economic and personal self-sufficiency. Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start believes in direct involvement of parents and community volunteers as an integral part of the program. parents are invited to assist in planning and implementing parent meetings or helping with other aspects of the program. Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start acknowledges parent and family engagement as beneficial to the program, children, families, and community. HEALTH, SAFETY, SUPERVISION HS/EHSPS ; Easterseals is determined to provide quality facilities and outdoor environments with health and safety as the highest priority. A hallmark of Easterseals Head Start / early Head Start is staff dedicated to cleanliness and safety of indoor and outdoor environments and active supervision of children.