Parent Involvement

Open Door Policy

You are welcome to visit your child’s center anytime and are encouraged to do so!

Parent Volunteer

A parent’s participation in the classroom is a special treat for the children and the teachers. You are invited to volunteer in the classroom whenever your schedule allows. You may wish to bring a special activity for the children or simply participate in the activities underway. Please coordinate these activities in advance with your child’s teacher. All volunteers must have a TB test and Limited Criminal History Check on record.

Parent Meetings

Classroom activities and other topics of interest will be discussed at the monthly parent meeting. You are encouraged to bring topics of interest and/or present them to your teacher.

Policy Council

The Head Start Policy Council (PC) is a governing board of the Head Start Program. It is comprised of parents and representatives of the community. One parent representative (Rep) is elected from each classroom.

The responsibility of the Policy Council shall:

• serve as a link between public and private organizations
• have an opportunity to initiate suggestions and ideas for program improvement
• plan, coordinate, and organize agency wide activities for parents with assistance of staff
• approve grants, budgets, and hiring of staff
• recruit volunteer services from parents and mobilize community resources to meet identified needs and to help assure that the program meets the needs of parents and children

The Policy Council meetings are scheduled monthly during school hours, or as needed. All members are notified prior to the meetings. The teachers will also post the dates and times of the meetings on the Parent Bulletin Board.

Communication Commitment

Head Start's responsibility is to communicate with the parents regarding the child’s experiences in Head Start. Daily communications, monthly newsletters, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and Home Visits will keep the parents updated. Teachers are interested in working with you to meet your child’s individual needs. You should feel free to talk with them about any questions or concerns.

Home Visits and Parent/Teacher Conference

Head Start regulations require the teachers to perform a Home Visit for every Center Based and Full Day child at least twice a year; usually in October and February. The visit enables the child and parent personal time with the teachers to exchange information. During this time information will be shared concerning your child's behavior, language development, gross and fine motor skills, and social and emotional development. It allows the teachers time to see the child in action in his/her natural surroundings, which often gives the teacher better understanding of the child. An example of this may be a shy and non-verbal child in the classroom who may be very talkative at home. Home Visits have proven to be valuable and memorable experiences for your child as their "teacher" has visited their home!

The regulations also require that the classroom teacher offer two Parent/Teacher Conference to the parents, usually during December and May. The purpose of these conferences are to provide parents with an overview of their child’s development. In addition the conference provides us with a time to answer any questions or concerns parents may have regarding their child’s stay at the classroom. Also, the parents may request a Parent/Teacher Conference at any time.

The family of each Combination Home Based child will receive a monthly Home Visit from the child’s teacher. During this time information will be shared concerning your child’s language development, gross and fine motor skills, behavior, and social and emotional development. The parent and the teacher, in a cooperative effort, will decide what skills the child needs to address and what materials will need to be gathered for upcoming visits. Parents will provide materials found in the home, while the teacher may bring in additional supplies as needed.