Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new proposed regulations and support structures to bolster program effectiveness and program integrity. A news release of the announcement is available at the HHS newsroom.
As Office of Head Start (OHS) Director Yvette Sanchez Fuentes outlines in the “Enhancing Program Integrity” video message, the proposed designation renewal policies for Head Start grantees would introduce competition into the Head Start grant process. A transcript of Director Sanchez Fuentes’ message is also available. The proposed regulations include:
- Transitioning all Head Start grants from a three-year grant cycle to a five-year grant cycle.
- Requiring 25% of Head Start & Early Head Start programs (monitored yearly) to compete for their next five years of funding.
- Subjecting grantees to compete for grants if they do not meet a set list of seven specific performance conditions related to quality, licensing and operation, and fiscal and internal controls.
As of Wednesday, September 22, 2010, the proposed Head Start rules and regulations will be available on this Federal Register webpage. Public comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.
The proposed new regulations were revealed in tandem with HHS’s National Centers and Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood announcements . The two training and technical assistance initiatives are intended to help grantees meet the standards articulated in the proposed rules and regulations. Four new national training and technical assistance centers–the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, the National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness, the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations, and the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement–will identify and disseminate evidence-based best practices to local Head Start programs and provide support to local programs to bring those best practices into their classrooms. The national centers are intended to promote continuous improvement and innovation and the ground level while ensuring that local staff are receiving the training and professional development they need to support the work they do daily.
Ten local Head Start programs across the nation, each nominated by the Governor in their individual states, have been names Centers of Excellence. These Centers of Excellence will provide peer-to-peer technical assistance and disseminate best practices to Head Start, Early Head Start, and other early education programs.
Additional information about the emerging Head Start Training & Technical System is available in OHS’s Overview of the Redesigned Training and Technical Assistance System.
